Master of the House
by Eriksangelofmusic4ever
Summary: "When you're able to travel on your own, Christine, you are to visit the Paris Opera House." Those were the final words of Gustave Daae. When Christine turned 18, she did just that...With the help of the Opera's owner, Nadir Khan, Christine finds love in her new home. But nothing could prepare her for the day when she came face to face with the house's manager... E/C as always.
1. Chapter 1

**Christine's POV**

Ever since I was a child, I listened to my father. He was a famous violinist, the best in Europe. We traveled by caravan from city to city. My father would perform, and from afar, I would watch and admire him. My mother died when I was very young, leaving just me and my papa. I thought that we would travel together forever, but when he became sick, I knew my time was running out… He left me in the care of a woman who lived in France. She was an older woman, one that had no children. After my papa died, I spent the remainder of my childhood cleaning and cooking for this woman. She became a grandmother to me. She was kind and sometimes she would brush my curly locks. The last thing my papa told me before he died was to go to the Paris opera house when I was old enough to travel there on my own. But why? Why did he want me to go to the Paris opera house? It was supposed to be a beautiful place, one filled with music and wonder. Not only did he tell me to go to the opera house, but my papa also told me that when the time was right, I would meet the angel of music.

I wasn't sure who the angel of music was, but if my father promised to send him to me, then I guess I would find out one day who he truly was. On the day of my eighteenth birthday, I left the woman's home. Yes, she didn't want me to leave, but I thanked her for all that she had done for me and promised to write as soon as I arrived. She thought I was crazy for wanting to chase after something that probably wasn't even at the opera house, but I needed to keep my promise to my father. I traveled for two days by foot, stopping at a small village to rest. Though, I was so excited about the opera house that I couldn't even sleep.

"I'm here, Papa…"

When I finally arrived, I stood outside the magnificent building in awe… Who ever built this place was a genius. I blindly walked up to the front door as I continued to gaze at the opera house's beauty. I was going to walk right inside and…and…and then I wondered. What was I supposed to do? I was here, but why did my papa want me to come here? It didn't matter, for I reached out for the door only to find that it was locked.

"Can I help you?"

I was caught off guard by a strange voice. I spun around to find a man standing behind me in a red uniform. He was in his early fifties and a little taller than me.

"I…I wanted to go inside the opera house." I said. "I've traveled a long way."

"The opera house will open tomorrow night for the gala. If you wish to see the show, you shall have to come back then."

Just then, it began to rain, causing the man to take shelter underneath the pillars of the enormous doorway.

"You should hurry home, Mademoiselle. You will catch your death out here."

"I…I haven't a place to stay," I confessed. "My father told me to come here. It was his last request before he died. I wasn't sure why he wanted me to come, but I'm here now."

"And just who was your father?"

"Gustave Daae…"

The man smiled and I wasn't sure why.

"Someone you knew?" I questioned.

"No, but I know someone that is a fan."

I was becoming soaked from the rain and I was about to leave, when the man stopped me.

"I was going to get some lunch… Would you like to come inside and join me?"

I smiled and hurried to the man's side. He led me in out of the rain and we headed up a flight of winding stairs.

"Everything is so beautiful," I gasped, looking around in all directions. "I love it. Whoever built this is a genius."

"That he is… Did you know that he drew everything from his mind? Most masons and architects, visit different buildings for inspiration, but it was as if he needed none. He knew exactly what he wanted to do…"

"I love it…"

"I never caught your name, girl."

"It's Christine, Christine Daae…"

The man spun around and extended his hand.

"I'm Khan, Nadir Khan. I am the assistant to the owner of the opera house. I see that everything runs smoothly."

I shook the man's hand. "Nice to meet you, monsieur."

"The pleasure is all mine."

Nadir led me into a small office and offered me a seat. I looked out the window at the pouring rain and began to worry about where I would be sleeping tonight and every other night.

"You seem worried, Christine…"

"I…I left the only home I've ever known since my papa died. He made me promise to come here and I never knew why. I still don't know why. I…I don't have a place to stay and I don't have any money."

Nadir rubbed his chin as if he were thinking. A few seconds later he held out his hand to me.

"Come, I think I have an idea…"

"Where are we going?"

The man led me up another flight of stairs to an abandoned part of the opera house, one that wasn't as beautiful as the other parts.

"What is this place?"

"The owner's quarters…"

"The owner lives here?" I curiously asked. "Why? I didn't think most people lived at the opera house."

"He has his reasons," he continued. "As you can see, he isn't the tidiest of people. He's barely here during the day, and I thought that it was time he had himself a housemaid."

"Housemaid?" I questioned.

Nadir nodded. "You do know how to clean and make beds do you not?"

I nodded. "Yes, my guardian taught me how."

"Good. You will live and work inside the opera house. It will give you some money and a roof over your head. It isn't much, but it will do until you find out why your father wanted you to come here."

Thankful for the man's kindness, I wrapped my arms around his body and embraced him.

"Thank you! Thank you, Monsieur."

"Thank me later. Though, there are a few things I need to warn you about."

"Warn me about?"

Nadir nodded. "The master is never really up here. You are to clean and not snoop around his things. He probably won't be happy that I hired him a maid. That's the next thing… Don't say two words to the man or else you will know his temper."

"But…"

"Don't ask questions, Christine. Just promise to heed my warning…"

"I…I promise."

"Good, let me show you where we keep the cleaning supplies and extra linens."

For the next hour, Nadir showed me where we kept the buckets for cleaning and the clean sheets. I never thought that I would be working in the opera house, but maybe this was what my father had meant. Maybe he wanted me to work in the opera house so that I was surrounded by music… Either way, it was wonderful.

"And here is your room…"

My room was more like a closet, but it would do.

"It's not much, Christine," Nadir began. "But it will have to do. We don't have lavish bedrooms here."

"It will be fine, thank you."

"Well, if there is ever anything that you need, I am usually always around."

Nadir was about to leave, when I stopped him in order to thank him one final time.

"I believe I am going to be the one thanking you, Christine…"

And then, for the first time in my life, I plopped down onto my new bed and sighed… The Paris opera house. I was working for the Paris opera house. Perhaps it wasn't as the lead singer or as a ballerina, but it was something… That night, I slept soundly, happy that I finally found my place in the world. The next morning, I woke before the sun rose and dressed for the day, tying my hair up as I stared into the tiny mirror that was hanging on the wall. Afterwards, I journeyed to the utility closet and gathered up the supplies that I would need for the day. Deciding to start with the dusty stairs, I scrubbed each one with soap and water. Yes, it was a hard job, but I was going to do the best that I could to prove to Nadir that I deserved this.

When the stairs were finished, I decided to enter the master's quarters. Being extra quiet, I entered the dark fortress and found myself standing in a beautiful music room complete with a piano. Never had I ever seen a more beautiful instrument… Curious, I approached it and began to wipe it down with one of the rags I had brought along with me. Nadir had been right, this man was not the cleanest person in the world, for there was paperwork everywhere. From the rooms I had been in downstairs, everyone so far had at least a window, but this fortress did not. There was a windowsill, but no window..If he was the owner of the opera house, why wouldn't he want to gaze out at the city of Paris? Oh, it was so dark in here…There had been a vase sitting on top of the piano, but when my arm accidently hit it, the trinket flipped over and landed on the floor. When it shattered into a million pieces I stood back and gasped, for I never meant to break something that wasn't mine.

I was just getting to my knees when I heard a door opening. It was so dark that I couldn't even see where this door was. Though, a few moments later a light came on, and I came face to face with an extremely tall man wearing a white mask. I gasped at first, for never had I ever seen a man in a mask before. Not only was he wearing a mask, but he had black hair and was dressed in a long black robe. Was he sleeping? He stood there in shock at first, but after a few seconds, he began to circle me, like a lion circling its prey…

"You broke my vase…" he had the most velvety voice I had ever heard. There was certainly some anger mixed into it, but it was soft all the same.

"F…Forgive me…"

Before I could say another word, he hauled me up by my arm with a violent force and shoved me against the wall.

"All of you ballerinas are nothing but thieving whores! How dare you come up into this part of the opera house! It is forbidden! I should kill you right where you stand!"

I shuttered at his touch and began to sob… This man was cruel and evil. Why did Nadir allow me to clean this man's home if he was so dangerous?

"GET OUT!"

The man tossed me towards the door and I hit it head first before pulling it open. From there, I stumbled down the hall and towards the stairs. I couldn't stay here any longer… I needed to leave before this evil man came after me. I was just coming down the stairs, when Nadir was making his way up. He saw the tears in my eyes and immediately spun around.

"Christine? What's wrong? Where are you going?"

"I…I can't stay here any longer," I sobbed. "I'm not welcome here…"

And with that, I hurried to nearest door I could find and busted through it, not knowing what was going to be on the other side. I didn't care. All I cared about was breaking free from this beautiful prison and its evil warden… Nothing could have prepared me for him.

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**First chapter done! Hope you all liked it! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Christine's POV**

The next room I entered wasn't the door to lead me outside, but a door that led me to a chapel of some sort. There were candles all around and there were even tiny pictures of people sitting up on a small table… Perhaps these were family members of the ballerinas that had died…

"Christine…"

When I heard Nadir's voice, I spun around to find him entering the chapel.

"Nadir, I can't stay here… That man you have me working for is a monster."

"I…I should have told him about you. That outburst was my fault, Christine. He's never had a maid before, and frankly, he's going to be quite upset about it."

"I'm going to leave… I don't belong here. And I don't want to work for that monster."

"Christine, he's truly not that bad once you get to know him. He has a temper, but deep down, his heart is in the right place. He built this very chapel so the staff has somewhere to pray for their loved ones. It's one of the many wonderful places in this opera house."

"It is beautiful," I said, taking a seat against one of the beautiful stained glass windows. "I…I guess I will stay, but only if he doesn't mind me working. I don't want to have another outburst like just now."

"Why don't you take off for the day and wander around the opera house? I'll go talk to the master…"

And with that, I nodded, knowing that I needed this job in order to survive, monster or not.

**Erik's POV**

I hated the world and its cruelty. When I was a child, I was abused beyond ones imagination. Many times by my own mother and then, even more by the gypsies, whose clutches I helplessly fell into. By the time I was able escape, my body had been damaged beyond anyone's wildest imagination. The world hated me because of my face, and I hated them right back… I found myself as the Shah's master mason in Persia, and sadly, the abuse didn't stop there. If it wasn't for Nadir saving my life, I would have died at the Shah's hands. So, to Paris I came, and now, I run an opera house. I wasn't quite sure at first about what I was going to do with the remainder of my pathetic life, but Nadir suggested that I design and build and opera house… I thought he was mad, but everything worked out. At first, I didn't think it was possible, but when it was finished, Nadir took over as the face of the Paris opera house. The man didn't know a damn thing about music and how to run an opera house, but with me standing behind him…now that was something. He had the handsome face and I had the brains. Whenever I needed something to be done, Nadir made sure that it happened. We actually made a pretty good team. I've run this opera house for ten years now…ten years and not a problem. That was until this morning. I had been working all night on my music and went to bed extremely late. Though, I woke to the sound of something breaking, only to find a whore in my room! How did she even get in?

I was just kneeling down to clean up the mess, when I heard Nadir's voice.

"Erik, we need to talk…"

"And so do we," I growled. "One of your ballerina whores have gotten into my room. I don't know if she wanted to steal from me or see my face, but either way, it's extremely unacceptable. You are supposed to be the one keeping those prying snakes under control down there! They are like mice, if you have one, you have an infestation! I don't need these animals coming up my stairs and prying in here to see my face!"

"Erik, that was not a ballerina. I hired that girl to be your new house maid."

"House maid? Have you gone mad?"

Nadir crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "Your room is worse than the girl's quarter's downstairs. You need a housekeeper, Erik."

"I do not need a housekeeper, Persian! What I need is a piece of mind, and it's barely possible with you always prying in my life. I am the one who is supposed to be giving you orders. Now, enough with this foolishness. I don't want a housekeeper and that is final. I can clean myself."

"And that's the problem, Erik, you haven't cleaned in ten years. You bury yourself up here in your music and forget about life. If you can't stand to be away from that piano of yours, at least let me hire you a housekeeper. Besides, she has no place else to go."

"And you need to stop visiting that whorehouse so many times a month."

"Perhaps you should come with me every once in a while. A little relaxation would ease your mind from business."

Oh, Nadir knew how to get me riled up! He knew that no whore would take me, and yet, here he was badgering me in my own home about it.

"Fine! Hire the snake if you must, but she will not be my responsibility. Warn her that if I find anything missing, it shall be her head. And tell her to stay out of my bedroom until after eight."

"Do you wish to know her name?"

"No, I don't see why that would truly matter… I don't even want to know that she's here, and it better stay that way. Invisible and out of the way."

And with that being said, I hurried back into my bedroom to change in peace. Today was a busy day, for it was the season's opening night. There was much to be done, and I didn't have time to worry about a housekeeper or any other girl who wished to clean up my mess. I had bigger things to worry about, and one of those things was my leading lady…

**Nadir's POV**

"Again, Madame…"

I was standing near the orchestra pit of the stage, attempting to run through the entire opera before tonight. Though, with Carlotta being the leading lady, things weren't as easy as they sounded. She was not only very selfish and self centered, but also rude and cruel at the same time. Right now, she was going on about how much she hated her costume. Oh, it was a headache and a half…

"Khan, I hate my hat, and to top it all off, someone didn't make my dress the right size! It's too big!"

"Madame, I'm doing the best that I can to accommodate you with everything, but right now, we're on a tight schedule and need to finish running through this opera. Opening night is in a few hours and we really need to get this finished."

Oh, Erik didn't pay me enough to deal with the likes of her. I ran my fingers through my hair to stop the headache that was coming on.

"You expect me to sing when my costume does not fit, and my hat is horrible!"

"Madame…Please," I begged. "If you sing for me, I will talk to the costume designers about altering your dress before the show. Now please, sing the aria from act two."

"That is better…"

Finally… The woman finally took center stage and cleared her throat. When the music began, her voice filled the auditorium. I wasn't sure why the world loved this woman, for her voice wasn't anywhere near perfect, but as long as the patrons loved her, that was all that mattered. Though, the music suddenly came to an abrupt halt, when the backdrop came crashing down, and nearly landed on top of her.

"He's here, the Phantom of the Opera!"

The ballerinas quickly ran about screaming that nonsense! I looked up from where the backdrop had come down and saw a pair of familiar feet running away. Oh, what was I going to do with him?

"Madame, please…"

"Please? For the past five years this madness has been happening! But do you try to stop this from happening? No! I refuse to sing under these circumstances!"

"Madame, please, we need you! Who else but you will the patrons come to see? I will take care of this madness, I promise you."

"Just like you promised to fix my costume!"

"I promise, Madame… Just go and rest. Tonight is going to be a big night for you. Paris will be at your feet once again."

The diva seemed satisfied, and with that being said, I dismissed the crew. I had something that needed to be done, I needed to talk to this so called "Phantom of the Opera."

"Erik," I stood outside his bedroom door and knocked. Yes, the man didn't appreciate me walking into his home unannounced, but I didn't care. I was tired of this… Every week, something happens on stage and everyone blames it on the Phantom of the Opera. I wasn't sure what his motive was, but I was about to find out.

"Erik, you either open this door or I am coming in."

"Don't be so pushy, Khan!" I heard him growl from behind the door. "Can't a man get his trousers on?"

The man pulled his bedroom door open as he was adjusting the buttons of his trousers.

"Didn't you change this morning?" I snapped.

"Well, when I was writing, my container of ink spilled into my lap. Embarrassing, right?"

"Oh, extremely," I mocked. "Are you sure it wasn't something else that spilled on you? Perhaps some oil from the backdrop that you cut down? You nearly killed my diva?"

"Diva?" the man mocked. "That vial creature is no diva. She is merely a mirage of something that clearly isn't there. A diva? Don't make me laugh, Khan."

"You know, Erik, for the past five years this Phantom of the Opera has been terrorizing my staff, and I'm tired of it."

"Your staff? I believe you're wrong, Khan. They are my staff! I can do whatever I wish to my staff, including that vial creature that I didn't even want to hire."

"What was I to do, Erik? We needed a leading lady and she was the only one with somewhat of a voice. After our first diva retired, we had no replacement."

"And there hasn't been a voice good enough since," Erik growled. "No one was as good as Rose Whitmar. She was sweet and had a good heart. What happened, Khan? You went and hired Carlotta against my consent."

"Well, you're the boss, Erik. If you wish to fire her, then I'll do it. Just say the word."

"No, you couldn't fire her. That would make you look bad. It would put a bad taste in Paris's mouth. No, I'm hoping that this legend of the Phantom frightens her enough to leave."

"So, that's why you created this monster?" I replied. "To frighten Carlotta and the staff…"

"It keeps them in line, doesn't it? When they won't do something you want them to do, I frighten them. It changes their minds pretty fast."

"You're going to be discovered one day, Erik." I warned. "Eventually, someone is going to become curious and come snooping around."

"And you better not let that happen, Khan. Keep the staff in line, it's your job. Keep making them believe in the Phantom and warn them about what happens to those who come into contact with him. You know what I'm capable of."

I knew it all too well, and I feared for my staff.

"Good luck tonight, Erik," I said as I made my way to the door. "And tomorrow, try to be a little nicer to your housekeeper. She really is a sweet girl once you get to know her."

But Erik didn't answer me. There were very little times that he did… He was a man of solitude and mystery.

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**Ok, I decided to update right away... Next update will be in a few days. I'm glad that you're liking this story. Hope to keep my readers reading...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Christine's POV**

Nadir returned to me later that day and told me that the owner had agreed to let me work for him. The following morning, I slept in a little while longer than I did on my first day. After gathering up my cleaning supplies, I made my way up the stairs, taking notice that the staff was still cleaning up from the night before. I wasn't sure if the opening night had been crowded, for I spent the night in my room. When I was at the owner's door, I took out the key that Nadir had given me and unlocked it, stepping inside the dark realm once again. This morning, the owner was not in his bedroom… No, he wasn't even home. Feeling a sigh of relief, I turned on the lights and started in his bedroom. His bed was a mess, for the sheets were ruffled and his blankets were tossed about. After taking off the sheets, I made up his bed and switched to sweeping the floor. The bed was not small and I could only think that he was probably married.

I was just finishing up with the bedroom, when I heard the front door opening. I closed the owner's bedroom door and found him heading towards his desk. He was so quick and smooth with the way he walked that he was gone before I could even get a good look at him. It was as if I wasn't there, as if I were invisible. Once he was seated, he began to write, his hand flowing away at the paper he was writing on. Knowing that I needed to stay quiet, I continued to work around him, attempting to stay out of his way. He was silence itself, and it was strange, for I had never seen someone stay so quiet before. Even though I was just sweeping up, I must have been making too much noise, for at one point, he put his quill down and sat up straight.

"The room is tidy enough for today, you are dismissed."

I opened my mouth to argue, but I didn't want another episode like yesterday occurring. From there, I lifted up my things and carried them out of the room. It was only a few hours into the afternoon, and now that I was finished for the day, I began to wonder what I was going to do until dinner? My papa had been buried in a cemetery not too far from the opera house. It had been years since I was last there. Knowing that it would be a nice trip, I put everything away and donned my cloak. A little fresh air wouldn't hurt. It was snowing, and the chill in the air was a bitter one. I pulled my cloak tighter around my body as I walked along the sidewalks that would lead me to the cemetery. One would usually travel by horseback, for the cemetery would take longer by foot, but I didn't seem to mind it. When I was finally at the cemetery, I looked up at the sky and took notice to how dark it was becoming. By the time I visited my papa's grave and made my way back, it would be pitch black. I was a bit frightened, but continued to my papa's grave. It was all the way in the back of the cemetery, and I remembered the way. His poor grave had been neglected, for not only was it covered in snow, but weeds and grass covered the hedge stone.

"I'm here now, papa," I said, leaning down to clear off his grave. "I came to the opera house like I promised."

I wasn't sure if I was expecting him to say something in return, but I continued to talk to him.

"I…I have a job. It isn't singing or anything special like that… I clean the owner's quarters. He's a strange man, but at the same time, I can't help but find him mysterious."

When a heavy gust of wind began to blow, I turned around to find that it was indeed snowing harder. I shivered and placed my hands beneath my armpits. Maybe it was time that I traveled back to the opera house… At least there, it was warm.

"I…I shall have to speak to you another time, papa," I said, standing up to take my leave. "It's a long way back. I…I promise to come visit you again soon."

The snow was so thick, that it stung my face as it blew my way. I closed my eyes as I walked to shield myself from the pain, only to slip on the icy walkway. I stumbled at first, but the moment I fell, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to get back up, for I had injured my ankle. It was dark now, dark and there was no one around. I wasn't sure if I was going to die here, but without help, I would surely freeze to death in no time… I needed an angel, and I prayed to my father that he would send me one.

**Erik's POV**

After dismissing my housekeeper, I was finally able to work in peace. I never heard someone work so loudly before. She tried to stay silent, but the truth of it all was that she was like a bull in a china closet, one that I simply couldn't tolerate any longer. I lost track of time and only came out of my work trance when I heard my door opening.

"Have you seen the terrible weather outside?"

I slammed my quill down on my desk and spun around to see Nadir standing there.

"Well, seeing that I don't have any windows in my quarters to look out upon the city, I am going to say no. And I know you're bound to tell me how terrible the weather is, for why else would you be here, Khan?"

"It's a blizzard outside, Erik. You couldn't see your hand in front of your face if need be …"

I packed away my work and stood to my feet. "Wonderful. That means it's a great night for a ride."

"Erik, don't be rash. A blizzard is nothing to ride around in. Your horse must think you're crazy half the time. You always go out in the rain."

"Bad weather is the only time I can get out of this godforsaken place, Khan! When there is bad weather there isn't anyone around to gaze at my hideous face. I feel at peace."

I threw on my cloak and donned my fedora.

"At least bundle up," Nadir warned. "It's below zero out there…"

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much. I shouldn't be long. I just want some fresh air is all…"

"I'll come check on you later," Nadir said as he headed out the door with me. "If you're not back by ten, I'm sending a search party for you."

"If I'm not back by ten, fire that annoying housekeeper you hired. She's louder than a sleeping bear. I won't ever get any work done as long as she's cleaning my quarters."

"Speaking of Christine…"

"Who?"

"Christine. That would be the name of your housekeeper. I haven't seen her all afternoon. Have you seen her?"

"Not since I dismissed her from her duties."

"Erik…"

"What? I couldn't get a damn thing done with her hanging around. I'm sure she's probably wandered off to her room or the underground lake… You know what, maybe she's drowned in it."

"You're horrible."

I only rolled my eyes and headed down the secret passageway to get to the stables. From there, I hopped onto my black stallion's back and headed out into the blizzard.

**Christine's POV**

I was holding onto a gargoyle of some sort as the blizzard continued. It was a wicked one and I was freezing from head to toe. I was crying, but it was snowing so hard that my tears could not be seen. I shouldn't have journeyed so far from the opera house in such horrible weather, but I wasn't thinking at the time. I never thought that it would have turned into this. A few moments later, I heard something other than the wind… It sounded like galloping hoofs, but I wasn't sure. It couldn't be, for who would be out in such dreadful weather? But there it was… It was a stallion! He was coming up over the hill and he had a rider on his back. Oh, my angel had come… He was here, and I wasn't going to freeze after all.

"Help…"

I let go of the gargoyle, only to fall into the snow. It burned my flesh, causing me to cry harder. Whoever was riding on that horse must have heard me, for when I looked up again, the stallion was standing beside me. I coughed and shivered at the same time, hoping that this person would get me out of the blizzard.

"Help…"

Two feet propped themselves into the snow and the next thing I felt was his strong grip lifting me to my feet.

"Oww…I…I can't walk. I twisted my ankle…"

When I dared to look up at my savior, I gasped, for once I saw the white mask, I realized that this man was the owner of the opera house. I knew he didn't recognize me, for he barely looked at me this morning.

"Girl, what are you doing out in such dreadful weather?"

"I…I wanted to see my papa's grave," I confessed.

The man instantly took off his cloak and wrapped it around my body.

"Where do you live? I will take you there…"

"Monsieur, I live at the opera house. I…I'm your housekeeper, the one you dismissed this morning."

"Figures," he snarled. "The Persian has been looking for you. Come, I shall take you there."

He was ignorant and selfless, for he was waiting for me to climb atop his stallion's back.

"Well? Are we going to freeze to death, or go home?"

"I can't get up there," I groaned. "I…I twisted my ankle."

"Must I do everything for you…"

With that being said, he hauled me up onto the horses back before climbing up behind me. From there, he ordered the stallion to head back to the opera house.

"You're more trouble than you're worth, girl," he growled once we were in the stables. "First you make a ruckus while cleaning and now this."

The man lifted me into his arms like a sack of potatoes and carried me back into the opera house. His body was stone cold, for he had given me his cloak back at the cemetery. So far, that was the only kindness he had bestowed upon me. His words, however were cruel and filled with hate.

"Erik?"

We were nearly to his quarters, when Nadir seemed to join us out of nowhere.

"Ah, you've found Christine."

"Her ankle seems to be twisted. I found her in the graveyard all alone…"

"At least she's all right."

"Well, here, she's all yours." The man placed me into Nadir's arms like a newborn and headed inside his home. "Goodnight, Nadir."

"Erik," Nadir placed his foot into this man's doorway to block him from closing it. Erik… That was a strange name for this owner, but it fit him all too well.

"What, Nadir? I brought her home, now you take care of her."

"You have medical supplies and the warmest room in the opera house."

"Your point being?"

"Let me care for her wounds inside your home? It would be a kindness…"

"I have no kindness, Nadir."

At that moment, I sneezed.

"See, she's already catching her death, Erik. If you don't want her death being on your hands, let us in for a while."

Erik thought for a few moments before letting us pass by.

"Wrap her ankle and be gone…"

Yes, this man was strange, but deep down, some kindness did reside.

* * *

**ok, chapter 3! Erik is still mean but he seems to be coming around...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Christine's POV**

Nadir carried me into Erik's home and into his bedroom.

"Oh, not on my bed, you fool!" the owner cried. "There are so many germs lingering around the city and I don't need to fall victim to one of its diseases…"

Nadir rolled his eyes and placed me down on the bed anyway.

"I don't think this girl is a threat, Erik. She's been cleaning your quarters. If she were infested as you say, you would have been sick already."

"You're going to be the death of me…" he snapped. "Just wrap this thing's ankle and take it out of here."

"Where are your medical supplies, Erik? What am I to wrap her ankle with? Your bed sheets?"

"In the closet…"

After showing Nadir where he kept his supplies, the owner strutted over to his desk and took a seat. Very carefully, Nadir removed my shoes and began to wrap my hurt ankle.

"That ice is mighty dangerous, especially when it's snowing," Nadir calmly said. "I've twisted my ankles on more than one occasion during the winter. Each one being nastier than the one before it. There… All done. You should be back on your feet in a few days."

There was an awkward silence, and then, Erik's grandfather clock chimed in the hour.

"The opera!" Nadir cried. "The opera is about to start and I haven't even made it to my box."

The owner spun around from his desk, watching as Nadir donned his jacked and headed to the door.

"Hey, where in the bloody hell do you think you're going? You left your luggage behind…"

"Erik, the opera is only two hours. I'll be back afterwards to help her home."

"No!" Erik shot to his feet and approached the Persian man who was making his point to leave. "I told you to wrap her ankle and get her out of here. I have a lot of work to do and I don't have time to babysit. Opera or not, you take this thing out of here or I will place her in the hall to await your return."

"All right," Nadir sighed. "I'll take her home, but, if I'm late to the opening of the opera, I'll keep the patrons waiting… They'll become angry and some will probably want their money back…and…"

"All right!" Erik roared. "I get it. Run along and do your job. This child can stay, but not a moment past ten. Once the opera is over, you best hurry your ass back here to take her home."

"Monsieur Khan…" I tried to intervene, for I didn't want to be left alone with this man.

"It will be all right, Christine. Just rest, and when the opera is finished, I'll return to make other arrangements."

When the door was closed, both the owner and I looked at one another before he turned around and began to work on some papers. Oh, this was going to be a boring few hours.

**Erik's POV**

Nadir certainly pushed my buttons most of the time, especially now with this girl. The silence only lasted five minutes, for after that time frame, her voice echoed through my bedroom.

"Do you have anymore blankets? I'm a little cold…"

I simply rolled my eyes and continued to work on my papers. I didn't have time to speak to such beings, especially this thing. Women were the apittimy of the earth, for they were crueler than men. Women and me didn't get along, therefore, I ignored them all together.

"I know you heard me," she cried. "You don't have to ignore me as if I am nothing but an animal. I…I have feelings too, just like you do. All I did was ask a question."

I squeezed my quill in my fist and slammed it down on my desk.

"If you speak one more word from that mouth of yours, I am going to put you outside to wait for Nadir. It's mighty cold in those halls… That will give you something to cry about!"

"Your words are cruel…"

Feeling frustrated, I shot to my feet and snatched my cloak from her body.

"Where are you going?"

But I didn't answer her, for I slammed the door closed behind me. Yes, I could have stayed home and continued to work on my music, but I had other plans. I needed to rid this opera house of Carlotta, and in order to do that, I needed to be consistent with my taunting. While she was belting it out on stage, I headed into her dressing room through her mirror. She would be in soon for a costume change and when she did, oh, she would find a big surprise waiting for her. In her next wig, I placed some glue, glue that would attach it to her head. Oh, it would take hours for her to get it off, and when it did come off, she would be missing most of her flowing locks. I chuckled as I worked, and then, I snuck out of her dressing room and up into the stage rafters to await such a show. It would simply be hysterical…

**Nadir's POV**

For the past few weeks, Erik had been playing tricks on Carlotta to make her want to leave. Usually, these tricks consisted of dropping backdrops behind her, or cutting down sandbags, but nothing prepared me for what he did next. After the opera, I was making my way back stage, when I noticed a crowd standing by Carlotta's dressing room. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I burst through the crowds, finding Carlotta crying and cursing about as the other staff members attempted to pull off her wig. It was nearly off, but along with the wig, her real hair was coming with it, causing a large bald spot to be present in the center of her head.

"I cannot take it here any longer!" she cried. "Look at my hair! Zis Phantom has glued my wig to my head! You are not a manager! You cannot even keep one ghost under control!"

I was getting a headache and it wasn't going away anytime soon.

"I don't need zis abuse! I come to sing, and at the end of the night, something terrible always happens to me!"

"My diva…"

"Shut your mouth! I'm tired, Monsieur Khan! I'm tired of coming here each and every night, and watching my back every second that I'm here."

And then, she marched away… But she didn't quit…No, she simply stormed off, and I knew that she would be back in the morning.

**Christine's POV**

Nadir stormed back into Erik's home after the performance. He seemed angry, and I wasn't sure why.

"You're late…" Erik angrily quarreled. "Did something happen after the show?"

"As a matter of fact, Erik, something did happen after the show. It seems that the Phantom of the Opera is at it again. He placed some glue into Carlotta's wig and she couldn't get it off after the performance. When it finally came off, her real hair went with it."

"The Phantom of the Opera?" I questioned. "Who is the Phantom of the Opera?"

"No one," Nadir replied. "He's a story everyone has made up. These stories need to stop, don't you think so, Erik?"

"Stories are a good thing," Erik replied. "They keep the excitement around."

"Carlotta is angry over this, Erik."

"Good, did she quit?"

"No, she did not. I know that she will be back tomorrow and she seemed to have something evil conjuring in that mind of hers."

"Good, let it stir…"

Not another word was said, for Nadir lifted me into his arms to carry me home.

"Thank you, monsieur," I said. "For saving my life…"

But the man did not turn around from his work… No, he kept his back turned. Once we were out of his home, I looked up at Nadir with so many questions.

"Monsieur Khan, who is Carlotta? And who is the Phantom of the Opera?"

"He is a myth, Christine. You see, he doesn't like Carlotta. She is our lead diva. He doesn't like her voice, so, he has been terrorizing her in hopes that she'll leave… At least that's what Erik and I have assumed."

"I've never heard of a Phantom before. What does he look like?"

"That's the thing, Christine. No one has ever seen him before."

"So, how does everyone know that he's a man and he's real?"

"They don't…But, every time something terrible happens, he is the blame. You shouldn't worry yourself about him. He won't bother you, really… The only one he's been bothering is Carlotta and I hate to find out what she's planning when she returns tomorrow morning. She's up to no good. Tonight was the final straw, I can see it…"

"But if he's the owner, why do you take care of everything? Why does he wear a mask?"

Nadir smiled and opened the door to my room to place me down on my bed.

"Christine, you need to relax. Everything will be understood sometime, but not tonight. And about the mask… you can never ask me or him why he wears it. It's what makes him mysterious, I'm guessing. All that you must know is that you will never see him with it off. Goodnight, little dove. Rest and I shall check on you in the morning."

I snuggled down into the blankets of my bed and sighed. This owner was a mysterious man, one that I didn't quite get. Though, he had saved my life and for that, I would always be in his debt.

**Nadir's POV**

The following morning, my headache had not faded away. Between Christine's accident, and Carlotta's outburst, my head was pounding with an unbearable pain. Sometimes I thought the job certainly wasn't worth the money. I was headed to the auditorium, when I heard Carlotta's annoying and agitated voice.

"Monsieur Khan, I want you to meet someone…"

I sighed and spun around to find Carlotta standing beside two men dressed in uniform.

"Madame, who would these two gentlemen be?"

"They are my new bodyguards… They are being paid to bring this Phantom to justice…"

"Justice?" I questioned.

Before I could say another word, one of the men took out a small pistol and pulled back the safety.

"Madame, you can't bring two men into my opera house and cause chaos!"

"Chaos!" she cried. "Chaos! My life has been nothing but these past five years. And after last night, I have no hair! I had to cut it…I am going to be forced to walk around wearing a hat until it grows back! I want him caught! I refuse to sing another note until you allow these men to watch over me during my performances…Starting with tonight's! They will stand on either sides of the stage and keep an eye out for this Phantom."

Oh, what was I going to do? I didn't want to put a bad taste in the mouths of hundreds and I was going to do just that if I refused Carlotta's request for bodyguards. I would warn Erik before the show was all… At least if I warned him, he would stay away from the stage.

"As you wish, Madame," I said. "But these men better watch what they're shooting at. I don't need any of my staff members being harmed."

When everything was over and done with, I hurried up the stairs to Erik's home, knocking on the door several times without an answer. He couldn't be asleep, for it was nearly the afternoon. I waited another few moments before busting into Erik's home and looking in each and every room. But he wasn't here… He must have stepped out, for he did so every once in a while. Feeling the urgent need to warn him, I pulled out a piece of parchment and wrote him a note.

"_Stay away from the rafters tonight!"_

It was short and to the point… I could only hope that he would heed the warning.

* * *

**...And when does Erik ever heed your warning, Khan? Sorry about the delayed update. I went to New York over the weekend and wow, what a time! I met up with another Phan, one who is not only a Phantom Phan, but a fan of my writings here on FF. We went backstage and I got to meet all the actors and Phantoms, it was amazing! Thanks again everyone, please review! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Erik's POV**

I didn't sleep much that night, for I wasn't tired enough to do so. Therefore, when I woke the following morning, I decided to venture out for some fresh air. There weren't many days when I felt the need to get it, but some days I felt as though I had cabin fever and needed an hour out of the opera house. I did so in darkness so that no one could see me. There were many days when I wished that I had been born normal so that I could actually walk about when everyone else was. No, that was the world of a normal human being, and I was anything but. When I finally returned from my walk, I noticed that there was a note sitting on my desk.

"_Stay away from the rafters tonight!"_

A demand from Nadir? I chuckled, for he knew better than to boss me around. I was his boss after all and the last thing he needed to do was anger me with such nonsense. Suddenly, I heard Carlotta's voice echoing from down below. Oh, she was singing and it was driving me simply mad! I covered my ears from the horrible sound… Oh, why couldn't she just leave? I had tried to play nice, but after last night, I thought that would have been enough for her to quit! Apparently not… Well, I knew just what I was going to have to do tonight. No more mister nice Phantom. It was time to do my worst. But just what was my worst? I paced back and forth as her voice continued to make me cringe… Anything was surely better than Carlotta. If I could just get her to quit, I could replace her with someone better. Anyone had to be better than her. I couldn't kill her, for that was distasteful. I couldn't poison her, for if I did then it would ruin everything. No, I couldn't postpone a sold out show. I could frighten her…Yes… Maybe I could stand right over her in the rafters and get her attention! Yes, I could cut down a sandbag and have it land at her feet. If she saw me, perhaps it would frighten her to no end and she would leave. Oh, it was perfect…

That evening, I dressed in my usual black attire, including my fedora and headed to the rafters above the stage. When the operas were good, I used to enjoy watching them from box five. Oh, but ever since Carlotta joined the staff, I hadn't been able to stomach a single show. Yes, the world loved her, but what Carlotta brought to the stage wasn't music… It was horrible and she had no passion in her tone what so ever. Music was beautiful and it needed to be proved beautiful right back. Surely there was someone in the world who saw music as I do… The ballerinas were already dancing about and in a few seconds, Carlotta was going to be stepping out center stage. To insure that I frightened her enough, I rummaged through the prop room and found a severed head that was made out of plaster. It was used in Hannibal but Carlotta would believe it to be real. Oh, the look on her face would be priceless!

She was singing now, belting out to the lyrics I had written. God, she was simply horrible… I rolled my eyes and stood right above her with the head in hand. Knowing what I had to do now, I began to untie one of the sandbags, causing it to fall and land at her feet. She immediately stopped singing and looked up as the music continued to play from below in the orchestra pit. It was now or never! I held up the severed head, and awaited the scream, but that scream never came… at least not from her. Instead of her seeing me, I heard a loud bang before feeling extreme pain in my chest. I stumbled backwards and grasped onto the railings of the rafters, realizing that I had been shot…I had been shot! The ballerinas were screaming in horror now and the music had come to an abrupt halt. And that's when I heard it again…Another bang, this time, feeling a bullet entering my left side. I fell on the rafters and began to crawl away, knowing that if I didn't get away quickly, I was going to be caught. I dragged my bleeding body all the way to the beginning of the rafters and opened the trap door that would lead me to safety…

**Christine's POV**

I had stayed in my room the entire day resting and to tell the truth, my ankle actually felt a little better than it did last night. When my stomach began to growl, I stood up on my feet and decided to venture to the kitchen in order to get something to eat. I wasn't sure of the time, but as soon as I came out of my room, I was met with the screams and panic of the staff and patrons.

"They shot him!" one lady yelled as she bolted towards the doors. "They shot a man in the rafters…"

I wasn't sure what was going on, but I knew that Nadir would most likely tell me later. The journey to the kitchen was a lonely and deserted one. Since there was an opera going on, there was no one around to let me in the kitchen. After approaching the door and finding it locked, I sighed and thought about what to do. Nadir was in the middle of taking care of the opera so I couldn't go to him… I knew my only other option was to go to the owner and ask him for the key.

"Lord give me strength."

The hall and stairs to his realm were dark, so dark that I became frightened. I didn't like being alone, and now that I was, I wanted nothing more than for Nadir to be here beside me. At least he made me feel better when I was upset. When I finally reached the door to his home, I reached out to knock, taking notice that there was something wet and sticky splattered all over it.

"Eww…" I sighed. "What?"

Thinking it to be nothing, I knocked and waited. Maybe he wasn't home? Maybe he was out seeing the opera? He was the owner, after all…

"Um…Monsieur?"

I knocked again, this time finding that a bit of the substance had gotten onto my knuckle. What was this stuff? Curious, I lifted my knuckle to my nose and smelled it. It certainly wasn't food, for it smelled rusty. There wasn't much light in the hall, so it was hard to tell what color it actually was. When I finally looked down at my feet, I noticed this stuff was not only all over the door, but on the floor as well.

"Monsieur, are you home? There is a mess out here… Do you know what happened?"

There was silence once again, but this time, I heard muffled breathing coming from behind the door.

"Monsieur? I hear you in there. A…Are you all right? It's me,Christine, you're housekeeper…"

Usually, I didn't like walking in on people, especially this man, but he didn't sound so well. Knowing what I had to do, I opened the door and stepped inside. The room was in complete darkness, but the floor was wet and sticky. Quickly, I reached over for the only light in his home, and when it illuminated the realm in a dull light, what I saw nearly stopped my heart. The substance that had been all over the floor and door was blood! On the floor beside his bed, the owner lay in a seeping puddle of his own blood!

"Monsieur!" I ran to his side and knelt down, taking notice that he had been shot. The man was barely conscious, for he was breathing heavily and attempting to keep pressure on his wounds.

"Monsieur…"

Knowing that I needed to find Nadir, I reached for a white sheet and tore some of the fabric off. From there, I wrapped it around his side and pulled it tight to stop some of the bleeding.

"I…I'm going to find Nadir, Monsieur. Just rest…I…I'll be back as soon as I can."

Quickly, I hurried down the stairs and through the vacant halls. My ankle was starting to hurt me again from how much I had been on it in the last few moments, but I didn't care. Upstairs, there was a man bleeding to death on his floor. I wasn't sure where Nadir could be, but whatever had taken place on that stage had stopped the opera, for there were now officers and staff members standing about.

"Monsieur Khan!"

I yelled out his name as I attempted to approach a few of the officers, only to feel a hand come over my mouth and pull me to the side before any of the officers or staff members could spot me. I fought at first, but when I recognized the hand, I stopped, for it had been Nadir who had silenced me and pulled me off to the side. But why? Did he not want the officers to see me?

"Christine," he whispered. "You're covered in blood…"

"Monsieur Khan, what happened tonight at the opera? Monsieur, he's…he's bleeding to death. I…I tried to stop it, but he's hurt really bad."

Nadir sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness, you found him?"

"He's in his room…"

Avoiding the officers, Nadir pulled me up the stairs and towards Erik's home.

"He was watching the opera," Nadir told me. "Carlotta hired these officers to find the Phantom and kill him should he appear. He did and the guns went off… The bullet must have went in the wrong direction and hit Erik."

"My God, that's horrible."

"Indeed…"

We were at his door now, but before entering, Nadir turned to me and embraced my shoulders with his hands.

"Christine, you must promise me that you will never tell a soul about tonight… About how you found Erik. Do you understand? The only one that was shot was the Phantom and we have yet to find his body."

I was confused, but I promised Nadir that I wouldn't tell a soul. I didn't know who I would tell anyway, seeing that I didn't know a single soul besides him. When we were in his room, Nadir rushed over to Erik's body and inspected the damage.

"Erik…" he said his name softly, but did not get a response.

"Is he…is he all right?" I stammered.

"He's alive, but barely. Two bullet wounds…"

Nadir lifted Erik's body up and placed him on his bed.

"I'm going to do my best to save his life."

"But shouldn't we get a doctor? He…He looks really hurt."

"No doctors, Christine."

"But why?"

"You wouldn't understand!"

I never saw Nadir angry before, but I had only been here a few days. Without another word, the man fetched a damp towel and handed it to me.

"Christine, go out into the halls and wipe away any blood stains you can see with your own two eyes."

"Nadir, I don't understand…"

"Just do it!" he snapped. "And be quick about it."

"But shouldn't we get a doctor? He'll die without one."

"Christine, you either do what I tell you to do, or I will send you out of this opera house forever more. And once you're banished, there is no returning…ever."

Without another word, I took the towel and left the room. I wasn't sure if Erik was going to die, but I didn't want to be banished from the opera house either. Therefore, I did as Nadir told me to do and spent the next several hours cleaning up Erik's blood trail. It was a long night, but for some odd reason, I couldn't stop thinking about Erik, and what had happened tonight…

* * *

**Ok, some action... Carlotta should pay dearly for this. I'll try to update on Xmas eve. Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Christine's POV**

I was just finishing up, when the door to Erik's home opened. Nadir was standing there wiping his hands with a towel. I had never seen him like this before… His jacket was missing and the sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to his elbows. It was strange seeing Nadir looking unprofessional.

"Christine," his soft voice called me. "We need to talk."

I placed the bloody towels into my bucket and stood up. It had been a long night and I was extremely exhausted.

"Everything is clean, monsieur. I made sure there was no more blood near the stairwell too…

"Good. Come inside, I need to speak with you."

I followed Nadir into Erik's home and into the small bedroom.

"I did the best that I could for him," Nadir said, his voice being nothing more than a low whisper. "I don't believe the bullets went through any major organs. He…He was lucky, I guess you could say. He's in a lot of pain though, which is why I'm going to go get something for him in the morning."

Erik lay in his bed, the blankets pulled up to his neck. He was sleeping soundly, his mask still intact.

"Y…You didn't get him a doctor, monsieur. How are you sure that he will be all right?"

"I've helped many a men in my days, Christine. I came from Persia, and many times when we went to war, we had no choice but to help the wounded the best we could. I've removed bullets before, and some of the victims were worse off than Erik."

"I did not know that."

"I didn't expect you to, Christine. What happened tonight was a tragedy, one that I tried to prevent. He's going to be off his feet for the next few weeks. Therefore, I have a new job for you."

"Monsieur, please, I…I know what you're going to say, but I can't. I can't look after this man. He can't stand the mere sight of me, and I've never taken care of a wounded man before."

"Christine, he's going to need someone to look after him. He won't be able to get out of bed or bathe himself. I'm depending on you to look after him. He will need constant care until he is able to get out of bed again."

"Monsieur, please…"

"Christine, you must… For me, as a favor. I run an opera house, Christine, and I barely have time for myself, let alone caring for this man. You can leave him alone at night to return to your room to sleep, but from morning until evening, he will need your care. Feed him, change his bandages, clean up the flat…Please say you will…"

Knowing that the man would most likely fire me if I didn't agree, I nodded.

"Thank you, Christine… I already wrapped his wounds in bandages. He's asleep and won't be awake until morning. Go to your room and get your rest, you're going to need it."

**Nadir's POV**

I was relieved when Christine agreed to care for Erik. I couldn't do the job, for not only did I run an opera house, but it would look suspicious. The police spent the entire night searching for the Phantom's body, but by morning, they came up empty handed. I expected them to, for Christine had cleaned up the blood trail that went from the stairwell to Erik's home. He was lucky, for the bullet I took out of his chest narrowly missed his heart. Not only that, but the bullet that I removed from his left side nearly nicked his lung. That's all I would need… Erik was indeed the Phantom of the Opera, and he would be no more. This charade couldn't continue, for if Carlotta believed him to be dead, then he needed to stay that way.

"This is ridiculous!" Carlotta cried as I entered the auditorium. "The police have been searching all night, and do you think they would have found his body? No! He was shot! Twice! He was shot twice and there is proof… The rafters were covered in blood…"

"There are many possibilities, Madame," I said. "He probably drowned in the underground lake. Maybe that's why the authorities haven't recovered a body…Or maybe, there wasn't a Phantom after all… Maybe it was all in your mind."

"Mind? Mind?" Carlotta tore off her hat to reveal her butchered hair. "Look at my head! My hair didn't just become glued to that wig! There is a Phantom and until his body is recovered, I will not consider him dead."

"Well, if nothing happens to you anymore, consider him dead, Madame. All I know is that I don't want your so called guards shooting anything on my stage anymore. They could have killed someone last night! What if it would have been the stagehands? Or…or the conductor? No, your guards will not be permitted on this premises with their guns, Madame."

"As long as nothing else happens to me, monsieur, we won't have a problem."

"We shouldn't, Madame…"

**Christine's POV**

The following morning, I made my way to Erik's home extra early. I wasn't sure what time he was going to wake, but I wanted to be sure I was there beforehand. When I walked in, I was happy to find that he was still asleep. He seemed so uncomfortable, but I didn't know what to do to make him feel better. I was just placing down a bag of things in the small dining room, when I heard a low groan coming from the bedroom.

"N…Nadir…"

He was calling out Nadir's name and I quickly approached the bedroom door. His eyes were open, and now that I was actually looking at his eyes for the first time, I noticed that they were two different shades of blue. One eye was clouded and the other was a clear blue color…Sort of like the sky. When he saw me standing in his doorway, he gave a disgusted look.

"T…The Persian," he groaned. "W…Where is he?"

"He's…He's busy, monsieur," I mewed. "He left me here to care for you."

"Care for me?" he growled, forcing his body into an upright position. Though, as soon as the covers fell from his bare chest, he immediately pulled them up.

"My clothes," he spat. "Where…Where are my clothes?"

I was frightened by his cruel tone of voice, for even if he was weak, he still scared me.

"M…M…"

"Out with it, girl!"

"Monsieur Khan must have taken them away. You were bloody and he wanted to help you."

"My closet…"

"Closet?"

"My closet! I want a shirt…"

Fearing the tone of his voice, I hurried to the wardrobe that was on the other side of the room and pulled open the door.

"There should be a black night shirt…."

There were many black shirts, so many that I didn't know which one he wanted.

"Quickly!" he snapped.

When I found a silk shirt, I pulled it out and handed it to him.

"Good, turn your back so I can dress…"

"Do…Do you want help?"

"No…"

I turned my back and stood there as I heard him moaning in agony. When he finally had his shirt on, the work of getting it on had exhausted him. He plopped back against his pillows and closed his eyes.

"Monsieur, are…are you all right?" I was frightened to hear his voice again, but I had promised Nadir to watch over him.

Erik was breathing heavily and was now sweating.

"Monsieur…"

"Must you stand over my bed?" he snapped. "You're not a wet nurse, you're a bloody maid for crying out loud!"

"Nadir told me to take care of you."

"I don't need to be taken care of! I can take care of myself. Like you, I don't go walking out in snowstorms!"

I gasped and backed away from his bed. Erik, on the other hand pressed his eyes closed and rubbed his head.

"Oh, this pain is utterly unbearable."

Suddenly, Nadir came walking through the door with a small bag in hand. When he saw my terrified face, he looked at Erik and shook his head.

"What are you doing to this poor girl? She's only trying to help you…"

"Then help me by firing her! I don't want her in here…Why do you keep pushing her on me? I don't need some whore snooping around my home or caring for my wounds!"

Tears began to fall from my eyes as I hurried out of the bedroom and into the dining room. This man was cruel, and I didn't want to spend another moment in his presence.

**Erik's POV**

When the girl went rushing out of my bedroom, I finally thought I would be at peace. Though, Nadir closed the door behind him and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You don't have a woman because of your hideous face, Erik," he scoffed. "You don't have a woman because of your cruel temper. That girl was only trying to help…"

"She's a whore, Nadir! What workhouse did you find her at…"

"That whore saved your life, Erik… She found you on the floor in the hallway last night and dragged you to your bed. If not for her, you would have either bled to death or been found by the police. This has to stop…"

No one besides Nadir had ever stuck their neck out for me before. I hated the world, but after hearing what he had just said, I did feel a little terrible about what I had said about the girl. Why? Why did she pull me to safety?

"Ah, I sense you are feeling bad about what you said a few moments ago…" Nadir scoffed. "It's so like you to regret what you say once the damage is already done."

"Enough!" I growled. "Don't mouth me like that. Remember who you're dealing with."

"I picked up your medicine at the store, Erik. You were lucky… those bullets could have been fatal."

"Lucky me…"

"You're going to be in that bed for a few weeks. Christine is going to come every morning and take care of you until the evening. You will treat her with respect, and you will thank her for it. And after you are well again, this nonsense of tricking Carlotta will be over and done with. Are we clear?"

"You're not my father…"

"No, I am your savior. Now, enough…"

And with that, Nadir left me alone with the girl.

**Christine's POV**

"I've cleared things up, Christine," Nadir said before leaving. "He should be calm now."

I wiped my eyes. "Thank you, Nadir."

"No, Christine, thank you. The medicine I gave you… Give it to Erik once after breakfast and once after dinner. It will help him sleep, so he should be out of your hair most of the time."

When Nadir was gone, I took a deep breath and composed myself before re entering Erik's room.

"Monsieur," I softly called his name as I entered once more. He was silent as he stared at me, for he didn't make a single sound or rude comment. "Um…Nadir gave me these pills to give you, but you have to eat first. They will help you with your pain. Do…Do you have anything in particular that you wish to eat for breakfast?

"Tea," he crooned. "I…I drink tea."

"Well, tea is a drink. How about something solid?"

"T…Toast… Wheat toast."

All the yelling the man had done earlier must have exhausted him, for he seemed to be in a lot of pain now.

"How do you like your tea?"

"Two lumps of sugar, no cream…"

There was a moment of silence, and then, I made my point to leave.

"Wa…Wait…"

"Yes?"

I spun around to face him once more.

"I…I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I…I…I shouldn't have called you something so vulgar."

I nodded. "I shall be back as soon as possible with your breakfast."

And with that, I made my way to the door.

* * *

**Oh, Erik... Well he seems to be coming around. Merry Christmas!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Christine's POV**

I had only been at the opera house a few days, and already I was beginning to love it. My ankle was feeling much better now, and I was glad, for I was taking care of the owner of the opera house. He apologized to me for what he had said, but for some reason, I didn't find it effective. His words hurt me deep to my core, and even after he apologized, I still felt the pain from it. He wanted toast with a cup of tea and the only place to get such a thing was the kitchen. Nadir had brought me my dinners so far, and now it was time for me to enter the kitchen for myself. It was busy, that was for sure. The moment I entered, I was met with cooks and other women preparing the meals for the staff and patron's of tonight's opera. It was so fast paced that I wasn't even sure on how to go about getting Erik his breakfast. I nearly bumped into three cooks on my way to a long counter, apologizing every few moments. Oh, I didn't belong in here… There was a pot of water boiling on the burner of one of the stoves on the other side of the kitchen. Deciding to help myself, I grabbed an empty cup and began to make up Erik's tea.

"Did you hear about the Phantom?" I heard one of the female servants ask another. "Word is that a few of the guards shot him dead."

"They didn't find the body though…" another servent argued. "All they found were a few puddles of blood."

"That is quite strange… Then again, the Phantom is supposed to be. No one has ever seen him."

"I heard he's hideous," the woman said. "Betsy said that she saw him."

"Oh, come now. Betsy is always spreading false rumors. No one's seen him."

"She said that she was walking near the stage after the performance one evening and he was there…"

"What did he look like then?"

"She never saw his face… She said that he was tall and dressed in black."

"They didn't shoot the Phantom," I said, turning around. "The guards missed and shot the owner of the opera house."

The two women gave me a strange look before shaking their heads at me. They were staring at me as if I had spiders crawling all over my head. Deciding to head back up to Erik's room, I took my tray left the kitchen.

"Some people just love to spread false rumors," I mumbled under my breath. "They talk, but they don't have a clue on what they're talking about."

When I entered Erik's home, I walked back into his bedroom and placed the tray into his lap.

"Here, Monsieur, your tea and toast."

I stood at the end of his bed, waiting for him to eat, but he never touched his breakfast.

"Something wrong, Monsieur? Did I do something wrong to your tea?"

"No," he softly groaned. "I just prefer to eat alone. If…If you wouldn't mind going into the next room it would be greatly appreciated."

This was a strange request… I could understand if he was going to the bathroom or changing, but eating? I didn't quite get the logic in it all. This man was certainly strange.

"Yes, Monsieur…"

"And close the door on your way out."

I simply nodded and decided upon cleaning his office while I waited.

**Erik's POV**

Even after the woman left, I waited ten minutes before removing my mask. I couldn't possibly eat with my mask intact, and I never had a reason to do so. I was always alone, from the time of my birth up until now…But now, I had this woman in my home. After removing my mask, I placed it on the night table and began to eat my breakfast. I wasn't hungry, seeing that my body was in agony. I gnawed on a piece of the toast and washed it down with the tea.

"Monsieur?" when I heard a knock at the door, I put my mask back over my malformed face, fearing that she was going to walk in at any second.

"Yes?" I groaned. "I told you that I was going to call you in when I needed you."

"Are you finished with your breakfast?"

"Yes, come in and take it away…"

This girl came walking back in and when she noticed that I had only taken a sip of my tea and a bite of my toast, she began to nitpick once more.

"You've barely touched it."

"Well, girl, if you had an unbearable ache in your chest, would you want to eat? I'm beginning to feel sick in the stomach. Just take it away…"

"Nadir said that you will get sick if you take your medicine on an empty stomach."

"I want my medicine and for you to stop talking. Just do as you're told."

This girl didn't say another word. No, she simply handed me these strange capsules and I swallowed them one by one. A few seconds later, I began to feel a tight pressure in my bladder, and I knew this familiar sensation… I needed to use the bathroom.

"Here," I forced myself into a sitting position and swung each leg over the side of my bed. Oh, this was more painful than I first believed it to be. I braced myself with my hands as the girl came rushing to my side.

"What are you doing?"

"My chamber pot," I moaned. "Beneath the bed…"

The girl bent over and handed me the small pot.

"Do you need any help?"

"Help with what? I can urinate without your hand holding my manhood."

The girl gasped at what I had said and went rushing to the door. It was apparent that I had disgusted her…

"Mon Duie…" as the urine left my body, it burned…Oh, how it burned.

"Erik?"

I heard Nadir's voice on the other side of my door. Oh, what did he want? Wasn't he just here?

"Damn you, Persian, can't a man piss in peace?"

Without another word, Nadir came walking through my door, causing me to nearly miss the chamber pot.

"Christ, man…" I growled. "How dare you walk in here when my pants are down."

"You're pants are not down, Erik… You simply unbuttoned your sleep trousers and pulled yourself out of them."

"You're disgusting…"

"And you have the same thing I have… There isn't one that's different, Erik. Anyway, I came here to see if you're treating Christine kindly…"

"After an hour?"

I adjusted my sleep trousers and tried to lie back down, finding it impossible to do alone.

"Here, let me help you."

Nadir grabbed my arm and guided me back to my pillows.

"I apologized to her if that's what you're worried about. She didn't say a word to me… It's as if my apology wasn't good enough for her."

"Here, let me prop your feet up on some pillows. It will make your feet feel better."

"There is nothing wrong with my feet, thank you very much."

But the Persian didn't want to hear any of it. No, he took my bare feet into his hands and propped them up onto a few spare pillows.

"I bet if you treated Christine a little kinder, she might massage your feet for you."

"I don't want her touching any part of me, thank you very much. The less I see of her, the better. I can't stand her…Please, Nadir, take her away from me. Fire her and send her out of this opera house."

"And if I send her away, Erik, she will be homeless. She doesn't have anywhere else to go. I took her in and made her your housekeeper. You should be thankful… She's a beautiful girl, and even after all the things you've said to her, she's still here. That proves a lot."

"It proves that she's desperate for a job."

Nadir rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Erik, when you're well again I would like you to accompany me on an outing."

"I've seen your outings," I growled. "Your outings are filled with nothing but late night excursions to the whore houses."

"The pleasure of a woman every once in a while is not disgusting, Erik."

"You should be out finding a suitable woman to settle down with. No, instead you enjoy making love to them and wasting my money. Why pay for pleasure, Nadir?"

"And why not?" He argued.

"Paying is for those who cannot get it for free…"

"You can't get either of them, Erik."

"How dare you say that to me," I snapped. "How dare you come into my home and say something like that. I don't want it for free and I don't wish to pay for it."

"You're just upset that you were turned away that one night. If she didn't turn you away, you would've become addicted to it."

I ran my fingers over my bandaged chest and groaned.

"Nadir, I'm giving you five minutes to leave me in peace. And tell Christine to stop coming in here when I ask her to close the door and leave me in peace. It's not becoming of her…"

"As you wish, Erik," Nadir sarcastically snarled. "But your temper is going to get you into deep trouble one of these days. It already has…If you would have heeded my warning, you wouldn't be in the position that you are in now. Look at you, you're basically crippled."

"Hardly not…"

"I'll swing by tomorrow and check on you. Until then, be kind to Christine."

**Christine's POV**

When Nadir emerged from Erik's bedroom, he smiled and took the tray from my hands.

"I'll take this out of your way, Christine," Nadir said. "I'm going to grab some lunch from the kitchen anyway. Why make you go all the way down to the kitchen when I'm going there?"

"Thank you, Nadir. Does he want me to come back in or leave him alone?"

"Ah, keep him company. If he took his medicine, already, he will be asleep in no time. It helps with pain and sleeping."

"What about his bandages?" I questioned. "Should I change them before I leave tonight?"

"Yes, give him a sponge bath in a few hours and then change them before you leave. I would stay to help you, Christine, but sadly, there is another opera tonight."

Nadir made his point to leave, when I called his name one last time.

"Yes, Christine?"

"When…When I was down in the kitchen earlier, I heard two servants talking. They were saying that the guards shot and killed the Phantom of the Opera. I knew that it wasn't true, Nadir because Erik was shot. You told me that the bullets missed the Phantom and hit Erik instead. So, I turned to tell them this, but instead of believing me, they simply looked at me as if I had two heads."

"Christine, you must never speak of that again, do you understand me?"

"Of course, but why? Why is Erik being shot a big secret? He's the owner of the opera house… Shouldn't people know that the Phantom is still out there and the owner is injured?"

"No, they must never know that the Phantom is still alive. Do you understand me, Christine?"

Nadir grabbed my shoulders and lightly shook me.

"Whatever goes on in this room must be kept between you and I. Do you understand? I need you to promise me that you will not speak to another living soul in this opera house about Erik and what has happened to him. People will come snooping around and that is the last thing we need. Are we clear?"

I was still confused, but I nodded.

"Good. I will see you tomorrow, Christine. Good day."

And when I was left with Erik, I never felt more alone that I did in my entire life.

* * *

**Sorry about the late update. I've been really busy with getting ready to go on vacation. I should be able to update while I'm away...I hope. Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Christine's POV**

I thought I was going to have to endure Erik's wrath upon sponge bathing him, but after entering his room once again, I noticed that he seemed to be out of it. The poor man seemed so exhausted, for he had his eyes closes and was lying with his arms limp at his side.

"Monsieur?"

I called his name just to be sure that he was asleep before I touched him. When he didn't answer me, I got to work. I carefully unbuttoned his night shirt and pulled it away from his bandaged chest. Though, as soon as I saw his flesh, I gasped, for there were so many lumpy scars and burns covering his body. I took a step back and covered my mouth, for the sight of it all was truly terrifying. My gasp must have woken him, for his eyes instantly shot open and when he saw his open shirt, he covered himself with the blankets.

"Wh…What are you doing? How dare you touch me without my permission!"

"I'm sorry," I cried. "Nadir told me to give you a sponge bath."

"I'm hideous, aren't I?" he growled. "Look at your face…Look at it! You can't bear the sight of me…"

I had hurt his feelings, for tears came rushing down his masked cheek.

"Leave me…" he sobbed. "L…Leave me."

Frightened, I gathered up my things and left him. His temper was one filled with danger and I didn't want to stick around to see what he would do next. Needing some fresh air, I decided to visit my papa's grave. The snow had finally stopped falling and yes, it was cold, but I needed to speak with my papa. The walk was tiring, but when I finally made it to his grave, I knelt down and cleared away some of the snow from his headstone.

"Papa, I'm confused… You made me promise to visit the opera house, and yet, now that I'm here, I can't imagine why. Yes, it is beautiful, but what else lies here for me? I'm caring for a cruel man… He has a terrible temper and I can't wait for him to get well again. Nadir doesn't speak much about him, but there is something strange going on. I just wish you could tell me why you wanted me to come to the opera house."

For a while, I knelt in the snow as if waiting for my papa to respond. I knew he wouldn't, and when I finally began to get cold, I stood and bid him goodbye. It was dark by the time I made it back to the opera house, for the once bright sky was turning a dark purple color. It was dinner time, and yes, I could have asked Erik what he wanted to eat, but instead, I decided upon getting him a bowl of soup and a sandwich.

"Monsieur?"

When I entered his dark home with his dinner, I turned on a light in hopes of finding him in bed. Oh, I prayed that he was asleep so I could drop his dinner and leave, but when I entered his room, his bed was surprisingly empty. I gasped, for where could he be? Nadir said that he wasn't going to be able to move for nearly a week.

"Monsieur?" I peeked into the closets and small spaces he could have roamed to, but each and every time, I came up empty. Oh, Nadir was going to kill me… What if he needed something and since I wasn't around, he went to get it himself? Feeling horrible for what I had done, I placed the tray down on the night table and went running to get Nadir. It was almost time for the night's opera, and I knew he was probably in the auditorium.

"Monsieur Khan…"

I broke through the crowds of patrons and hurried down the isle of people attempting to take their seats. Nadir was standing near the stage speaking to a young man dressed in his finest attire.

"Yes, the show will be spectacular, tonight. And…"

"Monsieur, Khan…" I was out of breath as I approached the tall man.

"Ah, Khan, who is this?" came a strange voice. "She looks like one of your servants that clean the opera house."

Nadir helped me compose my posture and had me face the man.

"Monsieur De Changy, this is our newest housekeeper, Christine."

"Housekeeper?" the man chuckled and held out his hand. "Christine, you are far too beautiful to be a housekeeper. Perhaps you should be in the ballet? You certainly have the feet for it."

I was about to speak, when Nadir interrupted.

"I don't think it's your job to decide upon which job I give my girls, monsieur. Perhaps someday, Christine will be able to move up in the opera house, but until I see how good she is, I will not budge. For example, right now, she is supposed to be looking after something important, and she's standing here beside me…"

Nadir was looking at me now as if I had committed a horrible crime.

"Monsieur, I need to talk to you."

Nadir smiled and excused himself from the man. Afterwards, we walked out into the hall, and that's when he finally spoke.

"Christine, what is it?"

"It's Erik… I…I left him to go to my father's grave. I know I shouldn't have done it, but he yelled at me when I tried to give him a sponge bath. I returned just now to give him dinner and his home is completely empty. I checked everywhere…"

"Come…"

Nadir grabbed my arm and we hurried back to Erik's home. Once inside, Nadir looked everywhere for him, but came up empty handed as well.

"Wait…"

Across the bedroom floor there was a small sectional rug, one that was a little messed up. I was guessing that Erik had either fallen on it or tripped in his attempt to leave the room. Nadir pulled it away from the floor and revealed a trap door of some sort.

"Monsieur Khan, what is that?"

"The door that leads to Erik's lair. He might be down there…"

When Nadir pulled the door open, a cold chill descended from below, causing me to shiver. Oh, I hoped he wasn't down there, for if he was, he would probably catch a terrible cold.

"Well, are you coming, or not?"

Nadir was already halfway down the stairs when he said this. Yes, I didn't want to go down there, but I felt bad for leaving Erik alone. All of this was so strange, for once we were down below the opera house, not only did we find ourselves in a cave of some sort, but there was an underground lake! I gasped, for there were candles surrounding it, giving the water a golden glow.

"Erik discovered this place when he built the opera house," Nadir began. "He kept it secret all this time. He uses this area down here as his work place I guess you could say. You must promise not to tell a single soul, Christine."

"I promise…"

I was frightened, but stayed close to Nadir as we walked along the shoreline.

"Where are we going?" I shivered. "I don't think Erik is down here…"

"Of course he is," Nadir replied. "The boat is gone from the shore. He couldn't have gotten far…"

And then, we saw it… We came around a corner and spotted the boat floating in the center of the lake. But it was empty…

"Oh no," Nadir mumbled as he ran ahead. Oh, why was the boat empty? But it only took a few moments to realize that Erik had fallen out, for his soaked body was lying lifelessly on the shoreline ahead.

**Erik's POV**

I never expected the girl to leave me alone after I yelled at her. It hurt me deep inside to know that I had disgusted her. No one was ever going to look upon me and smile… I was angry that another person had gasped at my repulsive body, so much so that I yelled at her for it. I only believed that she had gone into the other room, but as the hours began to pass, I felt the need for some warm water and soap. My body was covered in sweat and yes, I wanted a bath, but I didn't want the girl doing it for me. If she could bring me a basin of soap and water, I could manage the task on my own.

"Girl…" I called out her name, hoping that she would open my bedroom door and ask what I wanted, but that never came. No, for an hour, I sat there breathlessly calling out her name until I couldn't stand to talk any longer. Once that happened, I knew that she had left and I was on my own. A normal person would walk into the kitchen to fetch a basin of water, but being me, I didn't have the option of doing so. Therefore, I had an underground world, one that I could get my supplies from without having to answer questions from the scum of the earth. When I built the opera house, finding that underground lake was like finding my own piece of heaven. Whenever I wanted to go out, I used the passageways below the opera house instead of the front doors. When I wanted water, I took my bucket and collected it from the underground lake… Yes, below the opera house was my own source of life.

Knowing what I had to do, I pushed myself up into a sitting position and worked on standing for the first time since my injury. Oh, it hurt…I screamed in agony at least twice, but when I finally had my cloak tied around my body, I took my first step. Instead of removing the rug and tossing it aside, I tripped over it and landed on my chest. If there was anything that hurt worse than standing, it was this. It took every ounce of energy I had to open that trap door and get myself down those stairs. Inside my gondola, I kept a bucket, one that I would use to take water from the lake. I stood at the end of my boat and pushed myself out to the middle of the lake. It was something I had done without error at least five hundred times already. Only, this time, I became weak in the knees from my injury and lost my balance. When my body landed in the water, I hit the back of my head on the gondola, causing me to black out…

"Erik!"

When I came to, all I could hear were the sounds of someone calling my name and the frigid water crashing up over my back. I coughed and attempted to roll over on my back, but it was no use.

"Erik, look at you." Nadir was now at my side and running his hand through my soaked wig. I tried to protest, but he pulled it off and began looking over my exposed skull.

"Looks like you hit the back of your head," he softly replied. "Come, let's get you back up into your room."

"N…No…No…" I coughed once more and attempted to protest, but the man wasn't listening. I tried to look around for the girl, but she was nowhere to be seen. I hoped she was gone for good.

I didn't weigh much, for the man lifted my soaked body into his arms and carried me away just as I blacked out from all the pain I was experiencing. One thing was certain, I wanted that girl out of my opera house and out of my life for good. She was no housekeeper…No, she was just another woman, another horrible whore of the earth, one that I no longer wanted to be associated with. The human race was all the same… They wanted beauty and they wanted perfection.


	9. Chapter 9

**Erik's POV**

When I woke, the first thing I noticed was Nadir standing at my bedside. I was freezing, and Nadir must have noticed, for he placed another blanket over my body.

"You could have killed yourself, Erik," he growled. "I can't believe you went down there by yourself and in your condition."

"I needed a bath," I wheezed. "That girl…She…She ran out on me."

"Well, that won't be happening anymore. I'm making her stay here. It would be better for you…"

"I don't want her in here, Persian! I want her gone."

A few seconds later, I realized that I wasn't wearing my wig.

"Nadir…" I pressed my head against my pillow and closed my eyes. Oh, I was tired, oh, so tired.

"You hit your head when you fell out of your boat. It's nothing much, a bump or two, but you will be all right."

"Thank you, Nadir…"

"I also bathed you while you were out. I needed to get you out of your soaked clothes anyway… It made things easier."

When I noticed that I was dressed in my night attire, I sighed, for I was at least clean and a little warm.

"It's late, Erik, get your sleep. I'm going to send Christine in to gather up your wet clothes. Be nice."

I would have protested, but instead, I just pressed my eyes closed. A few seconds later, I heard the door opening again, only to open my eyes and spot the girl walking in. She didn't even say a single word as she began collecting my soaked clothing that was scattered on the floor. I watched her for a few moments, afraid that she would become frightened over my exposed skull. No, she left the room with my soaked clothing and that's when I closed my eyes again. But I was feeling cold again…oh, so cold.

"Monsieur?"

When I heard her voice, I cracked my eyes open to see her standing at the end of my bed again.

"You look so pale and cold. Are you cold?"

"A…A little."

"I'll bring you a cup of tea and a few extra blankets."

No one had ever been so kind to me. My head was exposed and she was standing before me, looking at me as if I were a normal human being.

"Would you like that?"

"Y…Yes, please."

That word… Please. I had never used it before. Come to think of it, I hadn't used it in years. But it just seemed so right, seeing that this girl was being kind.

"All right, I'll be back in a few minutes."

And just like that, she was gone. For the first few minutes, I thought she was going to leave and never come back. Though, after ten minutes, she returned with a blanket tucked under her arm and a cup of tea in hand. When the blanket was draped over my body, I sighed, for this was certainly better.

"Oh, your feet,"

When I heard her concerned voice, I saw her approach my feet and tuck them under the blankets. I gasped at her touch, for no one had ever touched me before. She must have believed that she hurt me, for she backed away.

"I'm sorry… I…I didn't know."

"Didn't know what? It's all right…"

Christine nodded and handed me the cup of tea.

"It's a little hot, monsieur. Just be careful…"

I took a few sips, noticing that it was indeed hot.

"Monsieur Khan is making me stay. If you need anything, just call, I'll be out on your sofa."

"The sofa?"

"Yes, it's quite comfortable, monsieur. I made it up with a few blankets and pillows."

"You don't have to stay here," I argued. "I will be all right. I usually don't sleep anyway."

"Monsieur Khan believes that it's for the best. I don't mind, really…"

When I didn't say a word, the girl handed me two of the pills I was supposed to take.

"For your pain," she reminded me. "Monsieur Khan wants me to give this to you twice a day."

After swallowing them, the girl approached the door and bid me good night.

"Do you need anything else?"

"No, I think I will be all right."

"Well, if you need anything at all, please, call me."

The girl kept my door cracked and only then did I take off my mask and snuggle my malformed face into my pillow. I was warm, so warm and toasty beneath my blankets. It was a change from the way I felt just a few hours ago. Nothing was worse than feeling the freezing water surrounding my body. Never did I ever want to get into that boat again…Even though, I knew I would be forced to do so soon enough. I was a monster, one that couldn't walk around the opera house like a free man. I needed to live like a caged animal and I knew that would never change.

"Monsieur…"

When I heard the girl's voice again, I kept my face buried in my pillow. My room was dark, making it impossible for her to see my hideous face.

"Monsieur, do you want me to place another log on the fire? It's a little chilly in here…"

"All right, girl…"

"Goodnight, monsieur. I hope you sleep well tonight."

And when she was gone, I thought that perhaps she wasn't as bad as I once thought her to be. Maybe she was different…Maybe she wasn't like the other women who had run from me in the past. Perhaps there was hope that this girl could become a friend. A friend… I never had a friend before, and the more and more I thought about it, the more I realized that I never would. I was a hideous monster, and monsters were unlovable. I once believed things to be different, but no one had ever loved me and I knew that no one ever would.

**Christine's POV**

After tossing a log into the small fire, I lay down on the couch and close my eyes… It had been a long day…An extremely long day. I wasn't sure where I would wind up tomorrow, but for now, I was in Erik's home. When I was finally toasty warm, I fell into a deep slumber, only waking, when I heard Erik calling for me. I wasn't sure of the time, nor could I look out the window and estimate, for there was no window to be found. This man certainly loved darkness, for if he didn't, why didn't he have a window? I got up from where I had been lying and hurried into his room. There was a candle burning on his night table and he had has face buried in his pillow. When I noticed that his mask was lying beside the candle I began to wonder why he was hiding his face. I would have asked him if he didn't seem to be in so much pain.

"You called, monsieur?"

"Yes," he groaned. "I'm getting terrible back cramps."

"Perhaps it's because of the way you're lying, monsieur… Your body is twisted."

"In the other room there should be some prescriptions. The green bottle…Take two capsules from the green bottle and bring them to me."

Adjusting his body might have stopped the pain, but I didn't want to argue about it any longer. He was being sort of calm tonight and I didn't want to wake the beast within him. After opening the cabinet that was hanging in the other room, I gasped, for the cabinet was filled with bottles of different prescriptions, prescriptions that I didn't even recognized. In front of me there was a green bottle and I immediately took two capsules from it like Erik has asked. He didn't even turn his head to take them from me… No, he kept the side of his face buried in his pillow as he took the pills and placed them into his mouth.

"Monsieur, would you like a glass of water to wash them down?"

"No… I…I've gotten used to swallowing them whole over the years."

"What are they for?"

"Back cramps. I have to take five of them each week to keep the pain at bay."

"Monsieur, usually, when I get cramps in my back, I just roll over to a more comfortable position. Why is it that you need to take a medication to get the pain to stop? I know I shouldn't be prying in your business, but I can't help but feel a little curious."

"You humans are always curious. That's what makes you all so evil."

"I'm far from evil, monsieur. It's just that I've never opened a medicine cabinet and found it filled with prescriptions that you would only find in hospitals. Why do you have so many?"

"That is none of your business," he angrily snapped. "I've been kind enough to keep you around, so I wouldn't push it. When I ask you to get me something, I don't want a question asked in return, are we clear?"

Knowing that I didn't want to be on bad terms with him again, I nodded.

"Yes, Monsieur. I'm sorry… I didn't mean to make you upset. I was curious, that's all. If it bothers you, I won't bring the subject up again."

"It would be best that you didn't. All you need to know is that I have pain in different parts of my body, and it's not because of me lying in an uncomfortable position. You, girl, don't know the meaning of uncomfortable. You believe yourself to be smart, when in reality, you are anything but. You make a better housekeeper than a doctor."

"I stopped your bleeding, did I not? If it wasn't for me finding you in those halls, you would have bled to death."

"I could have made it on my own."

"You're such a stubborn man, monsieur. You can never stop and thank anyone for anything that they do. You've never really thanked me for saving your life, let alone caring for you."

"Caring?" he mocked. "Is that what you call it? I don't thank because there is no reason to be thanked. The world is a tomb, one with filthy beings living in it. You don't see the world as I do, because you are one of them. You don't know what cruelty is, girl. The world has been kind to you, and sadly, it always will be."

"And what of you?" I asked. "What has the world done to you? You're a man, one that most likely brings the hate on himself. You're not kind, so how do you expect to be treated kindly in return? My papa always told me to treat others as they wish to be treated, and frankly, at this rate, I should be spitting in your face instead of speaking kindly to you."

"Well, then go ahead and spit, girl. It wouldn't be the first time I got spitted on. There's nothing that you can do to me that hasn't already been done. I've seen cruelty and I've felt more pain that anyone should ever have to endure."

When I spotted his exposed skull, I walked to the side of his bed and reached out to touch it. It was disgusting, but at the same time, it looked like it caused him great pain. My fingers brushed over the few wisps of hair that covered his bald scalp, and when he felt me brushing them, he became angry.

"Don't touch me! Do you understand? No one is to touch me…never. The slightest touch could make me bleed."

I backed away and nodded.

"Yes, monsieur."

"Enough with your curiosity… My back is relaxed now. I'm going back to sleep…You should do the same. It's still late."

And with that, I bid him goodnight and left him alone once again. In that room was not a man…No, he was like a creature out of a fairytale book. I never believed monsters to be real, until I came face to face with Erik.


	10. Chapter 10

**Erik's POV**

All throughout the night I tossed and turned as a fever took control of my body. I was freezing, so much that I needed to get warm. My bedroom was the coldest area of my home, making it nearly impossible to do so. Knowing what I had to do, I placed on my mask, wrapped the thickest quilt I owned around my body and stood to my feet. I nearly tumbled five times in my attempt to leave my room, but I was always able to catch onto something before I could completely fall on the floor.

I held onto the walls as I made my way out into my family room… Family room, what a ridiculous name for such a place. Why was it called a "Family room" anyway? Not everybody has a family, especially me. I knew that I never would have a wife or a child to entertain, and I knew that there was no changing it either. Everyone brags about how they fell in love with that special person, but to this day, I have yet to feel anything but hate towards people, women especially. They always left me feeling embarrassed with myself, and that was worse than feeling hated. I've lived on this earth for thirty five years and I have never looked into the eyes of a woman and felt anything but jealousy and hate.

The family room was dark, all expect for the red flames of the fire that was burning in the hearth. I approached my couch that was in front of it and was about to take a seat when I noticed the girl sleeping there. Oh, this was awkward… Why did Nadir force this girl to stay with me? She should be in her own bedroom, not this sorry excuse of a home I owned and sleeping on a couch. But how to wake her? She was just lying across my couch with a blanket draped messily over her back.

"Girl…" I called her name in an attempt to wake her, my legs starting to feel weak. I leaned against the couch, knowing that if I didn't sit down soon, I was going to collapse.

"Girl!" I shouted her name this time, causing her to jolt awake and gasp in fear. I knew I was going to frighten her, for that's all I ever did was frighten people.

"Monsieur," she breathlessly gasped. "What are you doing up and out of bed at this hour? Actually, what are you doing up at all?"

"Don't you ever question me, girl! You are not to ask questions in my home. You are to do as you're told, and right now, I want to sit in front of the fire."

My tone had obviously frightened the girl, for she hurried to her feet, allowing me to finally sit. The girl stood there for a few moments before she made her point to leave the room…or so I thought. I shivered from beneath the quilt as I stared into the flames of the fire. The heat was making my eyes burn with exhaustion and there was nothing more that I wanted to do than to sleep right now…but I couldn't.

"Monsieur, I can't help but notice that you're shivering…And…And your face, it's pale."

She leaned over and pressed the back of her hand against my exposed cheek, causing me to flinch. No one had ever done this to me before… No one had ever touched my face, flawless cheek or no flawless cheek. To the world, every part of me was hideous because of my deformity that I hid beneath my mask.

"You're burning up, monsieur," she gasped. "You have a fever."

"Just go back to bed, girl," I growled. "I'm going to sit here in front of the fire and get warm."

"I…I can't go back to bed, monsieur," she mewed. "You're sitting on it."

I was in no mood for games and she must have known this, for she disappeared. Oh, silence, finally, there was silence. I placed my hands beneath my armpits in an attempt to stop shaking, but it was no use, I had a terrible case of the chills. A few seconds later, the girl plopped down on the couch beside me, an action that I was completely uncomfortable with.

"Girl, what are you…"

But I never got the chance to answer her, for she placed a unbearably cold and soaking wet cloth on my hot forehead.

"Enough!"

I pushed her hand away and wiped my cold forehead with my hand to get it warm again.

"Y…You're going to make me colder! I'm cold enough as it is without having a freezing cloth against my head. You know nothing on how to help me."

"You don't understand, monsieur… When you have a fever, the only way to break it is to apply cool compresses to the forehead. I…I was only trying to help you. If you don't break your fever, you will become extremely sick."

"And just how do you know? You're only a child, one that should still be living at home with her mother."

"I never knew my mother." She pouted.

"Of course you didn't, she was most likely one of those whores from the city."

The girl gasped, a few tears falling from her cheeks.

"My mother died giving birth to me…"

I was speechless now… Yes, all I had ever known was hatred but sometimes I spoke before I thought. Maybe I assumed that her mother had been a whore because my mother was one. She never truly cared about me… Sometimes she would bring home a man and lock me in the attic. I never forgot the sounds they made…The ungodly sound of her making love to these strange men that she met at church or in town. Sometimes I still wake, thinking that I'm hearing her voice screaming, when in reality, I know that she's dead.

"You always assume something before you even know the truth," she spat. "You are a cruel and wicked man."

"And if I am," I growled. "It is only because the world has made me this way. I dish out the same respect I get in return, which is nothing."

"I don't understand why or how you could run an opera house? If you hate the world, then why did you build it an opera house?"

"Girl, just because you hate the world, doesn't mean that you can't love music. I am in love with it… Music has been the only thing I have loved my entire life. It kept me company during my darkest hours and still does to this day. Without music, there would be no reason to live."

The girl stood there looking at the compress she had in her hand. What was she waiting for? Did she want me to apologize for calling her mother a whore? That would be the day… I never apologize and truly mean it.

"My father raised me," she began. "He loved music too… Sometimes I thought he loved music more than me. But he once told me that I was music itself. I never understood what he was talking about. He made me promise that when I became of age, I would come to the opera house. I wasn't sure what he wanted me to come here for, but here I am."

"Why don't you ask him this yourself? If he wanted you to come to my opera house and you wish to know why, then why not ask him?"

"Because he died when I was very young. That's why I was warning you about the fever… That's how I know what a fever can do. It took my papa away from me."

Right then and there, the girl started to cry again. Well, I didn't want to die and I wanted to stop her from making an ass out of herself in front of me. Therefore, I held out my hand and motioned her to give me the compress. Oh, how it made me feel sick when the chilly cloth was against my forehead again, but it seemed to stop her from crying.

"I was visiting his grave when you saved me from that terrible snowstorm," she said. "He was buried here and I would like to visit his grave as much as possible."

If there was one thing I didn't like, it was having this girl for company in my home. Yes, she did a decent job at cleaning and keeping everything tidy, but that didn't make up for her curiosity. Even so, she was young and the last thing I wanted was for her to fall into trouble again on another outing to her father's grave.

"Girl, look," I began. "I want you to promise me that you won't travel to your father's grave alone again. The winters here are very brutal and the sunniest of days can turn to the darkest of winters in an instant. I should be able to get up and about on my own by next week. If you'd like, I could take you to visit your papa's grave. It would be safer…"

The girl smiled. "I…I would like that, monsieur. That is very kind of you."

"The city is dangerous at night, especially alone. I have a horse and I will take you there myself."

"Thank you, monsieur…But why?"

"What did I tell you about asking questions?" I snapped. "Ask me again, and I won't think twice about changing my mind."

"Monsieur?"

"Yes?"

"I was going to head down to the kitchen for a cup of tea. Would you like me to bring you back anything? Perhaps some toast? Or a warm glass of milk?"

Knowing what I wanted, I pushed my aching body to stand and approached the cabinet that I kept my medicine in. Over the years I had become accustomed to taking all sorts of medications for my aches and pains. If there was one thing I most certainly needed to take in order to continue functioning, it was my pain medicine for my scars. So many years of torment and abuse at the end of a whip had not only caused constant flashbacks, but excruciating agony in every lumpy scar as well. Sometimes, the slightest touch on my arm caused me ten minutes of agony. After grabbing the small tin that was hidden behind a few other things, I placed it into the girl's hand.

"Make me a cup of tea, no milk or sugar. Afterwards, pour a little of this powder into the cup and stir it with a spoon."

The girl looked at the tin and then back at me.

"What is this stuff?"

I could feel my blood boiling over her curiosity and questions, but this time, I answered her.

"It's medicine to help me sleep."

"I thought Nadir brought me something to give you for that already? I gave you the pills after your meal the other day and you immediately fell asleep."

"This is another form of medicine for sleeping." I growled. "Now not another question about it. Remember, just tea, nothing else mixed in with it. Otherwise the powder will do things other than what it's supposed to do."

"Like what? Keep you up?"

I was about to pull what little hair I had left out. Feeling a headache coming on, I leaned back against the couch and eventually collapsed back into the cushions.

"I'll be back in a few moments," she said, placing on her robe and heading to the door. "I shouldn't be more than fifteen minutes."

And when she was gone, I leaned my head back against the pillows and closed my eyes. It was finally good to be alone again. This girl wasn't the worst person in the world, but she certainly wasn't the best either. One of these days her curiosity was going to get her into big trouble and I wasn't going to be there to get her out of it… Then again, perhaps she was indeed more trouble than she was worth.


	11. Chapter 11

**Christine's POV**

The opera house at night was completely different than during the day. When the patrons and staff were gone for the evening, they shut off the lights, making the halls and corridors pitch black. I walked down each stair with a candle in hand to light my way. It was really cold, making me shiver as I reached the final stair. The kitchen was pitch black as well, making it nearly impossible to see anything. After turning on the stove, I turned my back to fill up a kettle of water to heat over the burner.

Once Erik was feeling better, I hoped that he would accompany me down to the kitchen instead of sending me off alone. At least I would have somebody to make me feel a little better about walking around the opera house in the dark. When the water was finally boiling, I made up two cups of tea and did as Erik asked by pouring the powder into his.

"What took you so long?"

That was the first thing I heard when I was back inside his room. Oh, there was that horrible temper of his again. I had told him I would only be fifteen minutes, and I had actually been twenty.

"Sorry," I said, placing the tray down on the side table. "It was only an extra five minutes."

I handed him his cup and he stood to his feet with it in hand.

"I'm going to drink this in bed. In an hour if you're still awake, come and take it away without disturbing me."

"Yes, monsieur…"

When I heard his bedroom door close, I took a seat on the couch and began to drink my cup of tea. This man was certainly one that loved his privacy, for he never really spoke or wanted to be around other people. That night I tried to fall back asleep, but found it nearly impossible, even after fetching Erik's empty cup from his room. Whatever I had put into his tea had knocked the man out, for he was sound asleep beneath the blankets. What I didn't expect to see was him emerge from his room the following morning dressed in usual clothes. For the past few days he had been dressed in his loose night attire, but today, he was in a pair of black trousers and a crisp white shirt. It suited him well…

"Monsieur?"

I was dressed already and was working on sweeping the floor near his desk. The man was grasping onto the walls and furniture in his family room as he made his way to the couch.

"Monsieur, you're going to fall…"

I was about to help him, when he held up his hand in protest.

"Don't touch me… I can manage myself. I managed to change into a clean pair of clothes, did I not?"

"At least let me get you some breakfast so you can take your medicine…"

I was about to take his order, when Nadir walked in carrying a tray. On the tray, there were a few pieces of dry toast and a cup of tea.

"Erik, how nice to see you up and about today. You always did heal quickly."

He placed the tray down in front of Erik, and took a seat beside him.

"How do you feel?"

"Better, Persian."

Without Erik's permission, Nadir lifted the side of Erik's shirt up to reveal his bandaged abdomen.

"Persian, what are you doing!" he growled, attempting to grab his shirt back. "How dare you touch me without my consent?"

"Calm down, Erik, I'm inspecting your bandages is all. The last time you were hurt, you let your wounds fester in the same set of bandages for a week. You nearly caused yourself an infection. I'm taking no chances this time."

When I dared to look at Erik, he gave me a dirty look, causing me to turn the other way.

"Well, there are no blood stains seeping through your bandages. Therefore, I'd say your wound is healing like it should. You really should have Christine change them tonight before you go to bed though."

Erik grabbed his shirt and tucked it back into his trousers.

"For your information, I can change them myself. The only thing I need this girl for is to get me things I can't reach on my own right now and to clean the messes I can't clean."

"Well, in that case, I'm going to steal Christine away from you today. The costume maid called in sick and with a dress rehearsal this afternoon, I can't be without one."

"You wish to make this girl a costume maid?" Erik quarreled. "She has no experience with costumes."

"It's nothing I can't teach her in five minutes. All she really has to do is take the costumes that are given to her and hang them in the proper place."

Erik waved his hand at Nadir. "Go ahead, take her… I might have a few hours of peace."

Nadir then turned towards me and smiled. "Well, Christine, come along. You're going to work with me today."

Before leaving, I approached Erik and stood before him. "Monsieur, are you sure you're going to be all right on your own today?"

I would have thought Erik to be grateful, but instead, he slammed his cup of tea down on the tray and gave me a disgusted look.

"You don't know a thing about me, girl. I've managed my entire life, and I think I can manage without an annoying girl being around for a few hours. So, go…Go wrinkle up the costumes and mess up the wigs. No costume maid has ever amounted to anything anyway…"

I didn't even say bye to him, for I was still in shock over what he had said to me. Oh, what a brute he was!

"You do know that what Erik said to you was a compliment?"

Nadir broke the awkward silence once we were in the hall.

"What? I don't understand how anything coming from him could be a compliment. He is a horrible person."

"No, Erik is not a horrible person; he just doesn't know how to talk to people. But he's right, no costume maid has ever been good enough for him. What he was trying to say was that maybe you would fit in as a costume maid."

"I'm glad you can translate, otherwise, I would hear nothing but cruelty coming from his lips. Though, he was a little kind last night."

"Really? How so?"

"He made me promise that I wouldn't go to my father's grave alone ever again. And then, he went on to explain how he would escort me there himself once he was feeling up to it."

Nadir only chuckled and shook his head.

"What? What's so funny?"

"He likes you, Christine. I know it doesn't sound like much, but he's never offered to do anything like that for anyone… At least for as long as I've known him, and I've known Erik a long time."

"How could he possibly like someone when all he does is insult them? All right, he offered to escort me to my father's grave, but then he turns around and says that no costume maid has ever amounted to anything… He's completely mad."

"Well, Christine, if he didn't like your work or you, he would have fired you by now. Erik has a strange way of letting one know his feelings. You've been doing a wonderful job at putting up with his temper."

"Sometimes I think about quitting…"

"Then why don't you?"

I thought a few moments and then, I shrugged my shoulders.

"In a way, I feel sorry for him."

"No…" Nadir stopped us from walking and backed me into the nearest corner. "No, Christine. You must never feel sorry for Erik. Promise me… He does not take lightly to pity. It's his biggest pet peeve, and you must never let it be known. If he knew that you were sticking around because of that, he would do more than fire you."

I was a little frightened by this, but Nadir took me by the hand and continued to lead me towards the auditorium.

"Ah, so there is the manager. A little late, wouldn't you say?"

That voice was so annoying… It was coming from a large woman who was standing on stage. She was a middle aged woman with orange hair and a plump face.

"I had some business that needed to be taken care of. Here, this is our stand in costume maid for the day. Madame CeCe is ill…"

The large woman circled me and ran her hand through my curly chocolate locks.

"She is too young to be a costume maid."

"Her name is Christine," Nadir replied. "I'm sure she will do just fine today."

"Christine," the woman spat. "What a pitiful name."

"Come, Christine, I'm going to show you what to do…"

Nadir pulled me to the back of the stage where there were racks of costumes.

"Don't mind her, Christine. That's just our leading lady, Carlotta. She can be a handful at times."

"She and Erik would make a lovely couple. They sure know how to insult people."

"Oh no," Nadir replied. "Erik can't stand Carlotta. I wouldn't even bring up her name around him if I were you…"

I didn't ask another question… No, I simply followed Nadir as he instructed me on what to do. For the remainder of the afternoon, I stood at the side of the stage, waiting for Carlotta and the other ballerinas to hand me their current costumes so they could change into another. I had never seen an opera before, and even though it was just a rehearsal, I thought the ballerinas and staff were just amazing. I always wanted to dance on stage, but I never got the opportunity to do so.

"Did you hear? The Opera Ghost hasn't been seen in over a week."

When I heard a few of the young ballerinas talking, I couldn't help but listen in.

"Carlotta says that her guards shot and killed him on the opening night of Hannibal."

"They never found his body. Though, little Jenny told me that they found a lot of blood in the rafters."

"I would love to know what he really looks like. He's supposed to be a hideous man."

Before either of them could say another word, a woman dressed all in black flew by me and approached the girls. She slammed her large staff down on the floor, causing them to stand up straight and face her.

"Gossip will get a dancer nowhere in life!" she snapped. "Gossip is not the truth, it's just bits and pieces of it that travel down the lane and turn into fabrications and lies. What are you two?"

"We are dancers," they both replied at the same time.

"Then why aren't you two on that stage dancing?!"

The two immediately flew by me and onto the stage with the other dancers. I ignored what had just taken place and continued to hang up the costumes.

"I've never seen a young costume maid before," came the familiar, yet strict voice.

"I'm filling in for Madame CeCe. She is sick today…"

"I've been watching the way you move," I spun around to face the old woman. "The way your body turns to hang up the costumes shows a lot of potential."

Her staff lightly tapped at the sides of my feet.

"Your feet are shaped for dancing."

"How do you know?"

"Because I am the head mistress for the ballerinas, little one. I am Madame Giry…"

"Sorry," I replied. "I've never heard of you before."

The old woman folded her hands behind her back and nodded.

"Very well then. If you ever become interested in becoming a ballerina, search for me. I believe you would do very well on stage."

And with that, the woman walked away. Dancing? On stage? It seemed a little scary, but at the same time, I couldn't help but want to do it.

* * *

**Ok, we're getting closer to having her sing... Let's see what Erik has to say about all this. I'm sure he has a mouthful to say about Christine wanting to dance in the ballet. Anyway, I know that I haven't been updating every few days like I usually do, and I'm sorry. I've been so exhausted from vacation. I was feeling a little rested up today, that being the reason why I uploaded. I will try to do so again in two or three days time. Until then, enjoy and please send me your thoughts. Thanks again, everyone!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Erik's POV**

When the girl returned from helping out with the costumes, she took to cleaning the family room. I was sitting on the couch working on my music, when I couldn't help but notice that she was prancing around and attempting to stand on her tippy toes like a ballerina. Oh, it was making me extremely nervous!

"When you lose your balance and fall, you're going to break something. And if you break something, I'm going to be extremely angry."

The girl stood back on the flats of her feet and sighed.

"I'm just experimenting…"

"Experimenting with what?"

"I just wanted to see if I was good enough. Today, the head ballerina mistress told me that I should join the ballet."

"Madame Giry is always looking for the next best dancer," I replied. "Dancers get older and when they get older, there are injuries, and sometimes, they never dance again. That's why she's trying to recruit you."

The girl seemed upset now, for her happy expression faded away.

"You truly thought she saw something special in you?" I chuckled. "That you were the toast of Paris?"

"You're cruel…"

The girl let a few stray tears fall down her cheeks before turning back to continue cleaning.

"You wouldn't want to be a ballerina anyway. They care about nothing but gossip and sex. You're not one of them."

"Then what am I? All I ever wanted in this life was to be something, and I'm nothing."

"You're my housekeeper."

"You know what I mean. I want more… I want to do something with my life, something great."

"Yes, well, so did I…"

"You're the owner of an entire opera house," she cried. "You did something great."

"I wanted more… But enough about me. Besides, you were standing wrong."

"Standing wrong?"

Yes, I was still in pain, but I pushed myself up to my feet and approached the girl.

"Give me your hand…"

"Why?"

"Do you wish to learn how to stand like a ballerina or not?"

Without another word, she placed her small hand into my own and I raised it above her head.

"Now, en pointe…"

"What?"

"Raise your feet off the ground and stand on your tippy toes."

The girl attempted to do just that, but instead of standing on her own, she lost her balance and fell back against me.

"I don't know what Madame Giry saw in you, but I can honestly say that she would eat you alive. Ballet is a very difficult profession, girl. It's not for everyone."

"If it's not for me, then what is?"

I let go of the girl's hand and approached my piano.

"Sometimes, you don't know where your life will lead you. One day, your destiny just appears out of the blue. Your destiny just hasn't revealed itself yet. One day I'm sure it will."

"That…That's a very kind thing to say. Thank you, monsieur…"

"Don't thank me. I believe after tomorrow I won't need you living here with me anymore. I think I can manage on my own."

"Yes, monsieur…"

When I could no longer work on my music, I decided to sleep. I never thought I would wake and find the girl gone so early, but she was… It was still extremely early, for I never slept past six A.M when I was well. After dressing and changing my bandages, I decided to take a stroll through the opera house. When the opera house opened, I made box five especially for myself. I loved the operas and wanted to see them as much as possible. I hadn't been to one lately, but sometimes, sitting in my personal box cleared my mind of some things. My wounds were healing, but not fast enough. When I arrived at my personal box, I couldn't help but look down at the stage and find the girl prancing about. What in the world was she doing? She was attempting to stand on her tippy toes, causing me to roll my eyes. She was practicing for the ballet again. Deciding to stay quiet, I watched her for a while. She was indeed a horrible dancer, one that wouldn't make it past the audition. When she fell, I knew that I needed to end this.

"If you continue to prance around on that stage like you are, you're going to break your leg."

The girl gasped in fear and began looking around the opera house.

"Box five, girl…"

"Oh, I didn't know you were there."

"Most don't…"

The girl got to her feet and looked my way.

"You're not a dancer, girl…"

"Then what am I? If I'm not a dancer, then what am I, monsieur?"

"I don't know, but one thing that I do know is if you continue to prance about that stage and fall, you're going to seriously hurt yourself. You will be nothing without your legs. I don't even know why you're up this early…"

"I couldn't sleep…"

"Well then, how about we take a stroll? Perhaps we could go to your father's grave. It's still early. Paris doesn't usually wake on a Saturday until nine."

"Really?"

"Yes, get your cloak, it's cold out there… I will meet you in the stables in a few moments."

Usually, on a Saturday I could travel outside of the opera house and be back before sunrise. I didn't like going out often, but every once in a while I did enjoy getting a breath of fresh air. After opening the gate of Cesar's stable, I led him out, only to find the girl standing at the door.

"I didn't know you had a horse."

"He isn't mine," I said. "He belongs to the opera house. I use him every once in a while to get around Paris. He is quite faithful…"

"He is a handsome horse…"

The girl held out her hand to pet his muzzle, and after doing so, she smiled.

"Well, come on now…"

I boosted her up onto Cesar's back, before doing so myself. Oh, it was a painful boost, but once I was situated, we were off.

"The city is so quiet," I heard her say after a few moments. "It's as if we're the only ones here."

"Everyone is still asleep at this hour, girl…"

"Why do you like going out when no one is around? You always go out at night or in the early morning."

"And why must you ask so many questions?"

Not another word was spoken, for the remainder of our ride was silent. When we arrived at the cemetery, I helped the girl down and watched her walk on her way. I didn't want to follow her, and I knew I didn't have a right to. No, I had something else to do while she went to her father's grave… I visited my own. I never met my father… My mother told me he had perished in a construction accident before I was ever born. She never spoke much about Charles, only that it wasn't fair that he died and left her with me. Some nights I can still hear her voice taunting and yelling at me about how Charles left her with a horrid monster. When my mother died, I finally went searching for my father's grave and had her buried beside him. That's what she would have wanted…

I stood over the small stone that spelled out "Charles Mulheim. Dec 15th 1799- March 12th 1831" And then, beside it, was my mother's stone. Madeleine Mulheim. Feb 11th 1810- October 20th 1860.

I didn't have the heart to have anything more written on her stone. "Beloved Mother?" No, that certainly didn't depict her, and I refused to lie, even in death. I had many words for her, but beloved wasn't one of them.

"You've been gone five years, mother," I mocked. "And yet, I'm still here. I'm living in hell, and yet, God has probably forgiven you enough to be in heaven with father. He's there…If there is such a place, he's there. And yet, I'm down here… Another year older and another year loathed by the world."

I never stayed too long, for my mother never lingered around me for more than a few minutes. I patted Cesar on his head and was about to hop up on his back, when I heard the most beautiful voice. I gasped and looked in both directions… It was music, but not just any music, it was as if an angel was singing.

"Cesar, do you hear that?"

Curious, I stepped away from the horse and began searching for the source.

"_Wishing you were somehow here again, wishing you were somehow here… Help me say goodbye… Help me say goodbye…"_

When I came to the top of the hill, my heart stopped within my chest, for it was the girl! She was singing… Not very loudly, but she was singing to her father's grave. It was strange, for I never knew the girl had the voice of an angel. Yes, it wasn't ready for the stage, but it was a start. Never in all my life had I ever heard a sound so beautiful before.

"Your voice," I approached her from behind, causing the girl to stop singing and to turn and face me. "I didn't know you could sing."

"I don't," she replied. "I only sing when I visit my papa's grave. He used to enjoy hearing me sing when he was alive. On his death bed, he begged me to sing him our favorite lullaby."

"But you can sing," I began. "Your voice is one that I had never heard before. I don't know much about dancing, but I know a lot about music and you have the voice for it."

"You're bluffing, monsieur."

"But I'm not… Now, your voice isn't perfect, but it could be with a little training. Please say that you will let me train you."

"Monsieur, that is very kind of you, but I don't think…"

"You don't think what? That someone like me could train you? That I'm not good enough…"

"I…I never said that. I just don't know if I want to sing."

When I glanced away from her, I noticed that the stone read "Gustave Daae." No, this couldn't be Gustave Daae, the famous violinist. I followed his music right up until he stopped playing… At least I now knew that it was because he died.

"Your father was Gustave Daae?"

"Yes, I thought you knew that, monsieur."

"No, I didn't. But now that I know he was your father, you must agree to sing, for music runs in your family. He was a great violinist, perhaps the best."

"And how do you know?"

"Because I saw a concert or two of his. They were equally astounding, and I know you will be the same if you agree to let me teach you."

"If I agree, you must promise me something."

"Promise you something? What could you possible want me to promise you? I don't make promises, girl, especially to someone like you."

"Christine," she replied.

"What?"

"Christine," she continued. "It's my name, and I would appreciate it if you used it."

"I don't believe in using someone's name. I don't use names, girl… I thought you knew that."

The girl crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head.

"Just try it."

"Try what?"

"My name… Say it. You might like using it."

I didn't say a word to the girl, no, I walked back to Cesar and motioned her to come along.

"I'm not coming unless you ask me nicely and use my name."

Oh, I was losing my patience… She was just as stubborn as I was. I knew I wasn't going to get her to come unless I did as she asked, therefore, I bit my tongue.

"Come along….C…Christine."

The girl smiled and came hurrying towards Cesar.

"See, it wasn't that hard, monsieur. And yes, I would love for you to tutor me."

Oh, this girl was going to push my buttons…I just knew it.

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**Well, Erik seems to have his hands full. I'm sorry about the delay... my best friend just passed away a few days ago so I haven't been in the uploading mood. I was feeling a little better tonight, that being the reason why I uploaded. Please review...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Erik's POV**

"Again…"

I was sitting at my piano while Christine sang. She was horrible, and it wasn't doing anything for the headache that was brewing within my skull. Her voice was indeed beautiful, but she needed to be trained. If she was going to sing for all of Paris…which, was my plan, then she really needed to do better.

"Enough!"

My music came to an abrupt halt, and so did her singing. She was frightened by my temper, and I didn't blame her, for everyone always was.

"You need to breathe…" I growled, motioning to her throat. "You're not breathing!"

I took in a deep breath in an attempt to show her how to do it.

"How hard is it to breathe? You're standing wrong too."

"I am?"

"Yes!"

I came around from my bench and straightened her posture.

"It's uncomfortable."

"It's right. If you're bent over, how are you to sing? You need to stand up straight and breathe. Now, from the beginning, mademoiselle…"

"Again?" she groaned. "We've been at it for an hour now. We came back from the cemetery, I cleaned and now, I'm singing. I'm exhausted."

"Hard work is exhausting, girl. You think that you're going to open your mouth and be perfect? You have a long row to hoe, and it's not going to be easy. Now, again!"

"I'm too tired."

"Then you are giving up."

I didn't argue with her another moment. No, I just continued to play the piano, hoping that she would start singing again. Oh, but she didn't. She began to gather up her things…

"If you leave this room, I will never tutor you again! Consider it done! And once I make up my mind, I never go back on my word."

Christine threw down her bag and approached the piano once again.

"That's what I thought." I snapped placing my fingers back on the ivory keys.

"You're a workaholic! You never believe in taking a break. I worked all day, I'm exhausted. How am I to sing well, if I'm exhausted?"

"First of all, you shouldn't waste energy on pointless questions. Save your breath and sing…"

"You're cruel. When I first arrived here, I thought that perhaps you were married. And now I know why you don't have a wife."

I rolled my eyes and ran my fingers through my hair.

"The only reason why I don't have a woman living here with me, is because I loath them! I hate the world, and the world hates me."

"Because you're cruel."

Oh, she was pushing my buttons!

"Enough!"

I slammed my hands down on the piano, causing a strange sound to echo throughout the room.

"Just go… If you're so exhausted then go. I will see you tomorrow."

The girl didn't say another word as she left me alone. Deciding to watch the last rehearsal before the show, I snuck through the tunnels and ended up in my box. I knew watching Carlotta prance around stage wasn't going to make me any happier, for her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. Why was it that everyone enjoyed her performances so much?

"I thought I would find you here…"

I looked over my shoulder to find Madame Giry standing behind me. We didn't speak much, but once in a while she would seek me out. She and Nadir were the only ones that knew I even existed…Besides Christine.

"Madame…"

"I haven't seen you in a few weeks."

"Well, I'm never seen, but to answer your question, that buffoon Carlotta hired some guards. I was shot by them…I nearly died, you know?"

"You shouldn't have been in the rafters. What if something more serious happens next time?"

"I don't need a mother, Madame. I had one and she wasn't what one would call motherly. Though, I'm glad you're here, for I had something I wanted to speak with you about."

"Really? Usually you never want to speak."

"It's that girl…Christine. I want you to stop filling her head with false hope about dancing. I've seen her dancing, and it's horrible. She's going to get hurt one of these days."

"Christine? I'm surprised you've taken an interest in someone other than yourself. Why her?"

"Nadir hired her to be my housekeeper."

"Housekeeper?"

"Yes, I know… That stays between you and I. I don't need anyone knowing what she really does. If someone were to become curious, my life could become a living hell. She's become my housekeeper and I've come to know that she can't dance. Just do me a favor and stay away from her… Are we clear?"

"One of these days you're going to place yourself in danger."

"I've gone these past ten years without being seen, Madame. I could do it for another twenty if I needed to. Mind your own business."

"As you wish, monsieur Phantom."

Oh, when she referred to me as that horrible name I felt like strangling her, but I knew she was only doing it to get on my nerves. Sticks and stones…

I watched Carlotta for the longest time. She pranced around the stage like she owned it, and when I couldn't take listening to her voice any longer, I left. Usually, I took the tunnels to stay out of everyone's sight, but since there were no shows going on tonight, I crept through the dark hallways. No one ever noticed me, for with my black clothing, I was invincible. After entering my home, I hung up my cloak and took a seat at my desk. I needed to work harder and longer with the Christine girl. I wanted Carlotta to be replaced, and Christine was going to be the one to do it. There had to be another way to get through to her. Yelling certainly wasn't working, and if I continued to yell, she wasn't going to sing at all. Oh, why did women have to be so hard to deal with? She was stubborn, just like everyone else, especially Nadir.

Feeling the need to relieve my bladder, I stood from my desk a short time later and headed towards my bedroom. In the opera house, there were a few toilets with indoor plumbing. Only the wealthy got to use them. When I built the opera house, they weren't around yet, that being the reason why I didn't have one placed in my home. It was easier to have them installed throughout the opera house than in my home, for if anyone knew this room existed, I would be in some serious trouble. No, for as long as I lived here, I was going to be forced to use a chamber pot. I was just finishing with going to the bathroom, when I heard my front door opening. Oh, if it was that girl again, I was going to simply go mad.

"Girl? Girl, is that you?"

After adjusting my trousers, I headed back out into my work room, finding it completely empty. The door was closed, making me believe that I was hearing things. I probably was, seeing that I hadn't slept much lately. Feeling exhausted, I took a seat at my desk and removed my mask to rub the constant ache away. Though, I was caught off guard when I heard something smash in my kitchen. Someone was indeed here!

"Who's there?"

I shot to my feet and headed into the kitchen, finding my best dishes smashed into a thousand pieces on the floor. Oh, that girl was going to be fired! I knelt down to examine the dishes, only to turn around and have my wrist slashed by a piece of the broken china. I instantly grabbed my wrist to stop the bleeding, finding a man standing in front of me. It was one of the stagehands! He took one look at my face and backed away, screaming as he did so. No… Ten years of keeping my existence a secret, and now this!

"How dare you come into my home!"

The man fell to the floor and attempted to scramble away. I couldn't let him leave… Not now, not after he saw my face. If he told anyone, it would be the undoing of me. I chased him through my home, running and holding my gushing wrist with my free hand. The imbecile made it to my front door, and when I attempted to grab his neck, the door slammed me in the face.

**Nadir's POV**

"Again, Madame…" I replied as I stood at the end of the stage. "You're doing much better today."

When the music stopped, there was a brief moment of silence before everything went crazy.

"He's here!"

The doors to the auditorium flew open and monsieur Lave came rushing down the isles screaming.

"He's here! He's here…The Phantom of the Opera is here!"

Everyone gasped and went screaming about. No… How could this be? Erik always made sure he stayed out of everyone's sight.

"I cut him!" the man held up a bloody shank of some sort and continued to scream. "I followed him from the halls. He lives upstairs, in an area that no one goes to! I cut him!"

"There is no Phantom of the Opera," I growled. "He is fictitious!"

"He's hideous, monsieur! His face is deformed… I saw it with my own two eyes!"

I tried to intervene, really, I did, but it wasn't working. Already, Carlotta had her guards heading out into the halls in search of him. No, if this idiot took everyone to Erik's home, he would die a horrible death.

**Christine's POV**

After taking a short nap, I woke, and felt extremely hungry. This was my first night not having to stay or care for Erik. Even when I went to the kitchen, I couldn't help but wonder if he'd eaten anything today? Deciding to be courteous, I filled up a bowl with the day's soup and carried it to his room.

"Monsieur?"

I knocked on his door and waited for his angry voice to answer. Though, as the moments passed, so did the silence. He couldn't be sleeping, for it was too early in the evening. After taking out my key, I unlocked the door and stepped inside. It was dark…too dark for my liking. Yes, Erik seemed to enjoy the dark, but when he was home, he always kept a candle burning.

"Monsieur?"

I softly called out his name as I looked around his home. I thought that perhaps he had gone out…That was until I noticed how destroyed the kitchen was. His best plates and china were in a thousand pieces on the floor. And then, there was the puddle of blood… I gasped and began to follow the trail. I followed it all the way to the trap door that Erik had in his bedroom. I didn't want to go down below the opera house again, but I needed to find Erik.

"Monsieur?"

I closed the trap door and descended to the underground lair. It was dark, but at least there were a few candles burning.

"Monsieur?"

Finally, I heard a small groan. I quickly turned my head and found him curled up into a ball in the corner that was beside the shore.

"Monsieur, are you all right?"

When I tried to step any closer, his voice warned me to stop.

"That's far enough!" he choked. "Not another step."

"You're bleeding… Monsieur, what's wrong?"

From what I could see, his wrist was covered in blood, and so was the hand that was pressing down around it. Not caring about what he said, I hurried to his side and tore a piece of my dress to wrap around his wound. But when I dared to look up at his masked face, what I saw stopped my heart. He wasn't wearing his mask… This wasn't Erik! His face was hideous! A skeletal face with dead, yellow flesh pulled drum tight over the bone. Some of the bone was still showing, his lips, bloated and malformed. There were even purple and blue veins protruding from his cheeks… His nose, he had no nose! I didn't want to, but my actions acted faster than my thoughts and I screamed… Oh, how I screamed. And in his eyes, I saw all the sadness in the world.

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**Well, Christine saw his face... poor Erik. Please review! I'm also working on a colab story with my friend. When it gets uploaded I shall let you know. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Erik's POV**

I never felt so hurt in all my life. I had been beaten, raped, called horrible names and turned away from the world, but nothing hurt worse than when Christine saw me. Her eyes went wide like everyone else that ever saw me, and then, she turned away as if she had seen the most horrifying thing in all the world. Who knew, maybe I was the most disgusting thing she had ever seen. I covered my face with my bloody hands, not caring that the blood was burning it. Why was it that everyone feared me? Why was it that no one could look into my eyes and smile?

"So run," I cried. "Run away like all the others. Run and leave me here to die. It wouldn't surprise me one bit."

The girl did not run like I expected her to do. No, she closed her eyes for a second and shakily knelt down beside my body.

"Y…You're hurt."

Indeed I was, and I knew if I didn't get help soon, I was going to die. Feeling weak, I fell back against the cold ground, causing the girl to gasp and place my head into her lap.

"We have to get you back upstairs." She replied. "You need to be in bed. I could get Nadir, he could help you."

"We…We can't go up there…"

From what I could see, the girl had her eyes closed. She was terrified, I could tell… Who wouldn't be terrified by my appearance? But she wasn't running away… Why wasn't she running away? I was about to open my mouth again, when I heard footsteps in my room…lots and lots of footsteps. If I was found, there would be no more me. And if they found Christine beside me, there would be no future for her either.

**Nadir's POV**

I wasn't sure what kind of trouble Erik had gotten himself into now, but whatever it was, was turning out to be extremely dangerous. I followed the stagehand and the other opera house staff up to Erik's room. I prayed that this wasn't happening, but as each moment passed it was becoming clearer. I warned Erik time and time again about staying out of everyone's sight, but it all had gone in one ear and out the other, for he had been discovered.

"In here!" the man cried. "This is where he lives. He has a bedroom and everything."

Oh, I had to think of something, for if this man went in Erik's room and revealed him to all the opera house staff, Erik would be no more!

"In here?" I questioned, stepping in front of the closed door that led to Erik's domain. "In here? You fool, he couldn't possible live here."

"And why not?" he cried. "There is a kitchen and a bedroom in there! He was there, I saw him with my own two eyes. I cut him with his own dishes!"

"This is the guest quarters," I lied.

Everyone looked at me as if I had two heads. I knew they would, for there was no guest quarters. This was something I made up to keep everyone from entering.

"The guest quarters are for rich patrons who travel long distances to see the operas. I let them stay the night so they don't have to travel home at such a late hour. I never told anyone about it because it didn't seem important."

"But he was in there!" the stagehand argued.

"Well then, let's just go inside," Carlotta began. "And see if he is actually there. I want his head for what he did to me!"

I prayed that the door would be locked, but it wasn't, for the opera house staff walked right on in. The home was in complete darkness, and there was indeed a mess, for there was glass and a trail of blood all over the floor. Oh, Erik, what have you gotten yourself into now?! Needing to keep them away from the trap door in the bedroom, I ran ahead and placed the rug back over it before anyone noticed. They were too busy searching the kitchen for him.

"Well?!" Carlotta cried. "Where is he? You said he was here?"

"Ah…." The stagehand looked around and shrugged his shoulders. "He was here… There's blood! There's glass all over the floor. The evidence is there!"

"And where is the body?" she growled. "There is no blood in the halls, making it quite clear that he didn't leave."

"And how do you know?" I intervened. "He could have wrapped his wound in something and escaped. We were all downstairs. He had plenty of time to escape."

Carlotta approached Erik's work desk and came back carrying his white mask.

"Look at zis! His mask! He was here! The Phantom was here!"

Oh, she was taking his mask with her.

"I want every guard searching the opera house for zis phantom! Get a dog if we must to sniff him out. I want him found! He needs to confess to his crimes!"

I knew this wasn't over… This was far from over, but for now, at least I stalled them. When everyone finally left, I went with them to make it seem as though I didn't have any idea on what was going on. Yes, I desperately wanted to go down below the opera house to check on him, but I couldn't, not while Carlotta was ranting about. No, I would have to wait a few hours.

**Christine's POV**

We had been down below the opera house for hours now. Erik was becoming weaker, and it was getting damper. Sooner or later, I knew I was going to have to drag him back up into his home.

"Monsieur, we need to go back upstairs. You're freezing, as am I…"

"We can't," he moaned. "Not tonight. Th…They will be looking for me."

"Who? What are you talking about?"

But the man didn't say a word. Well, we couldn't continue to sit down here in the dark.

"Come…"

The man struggled to his feet and began to stumble towards the gondola that was sitting in the water. Oh, not this boat again. I wasn't sure what he was up to, but he motioned me to get into the boat. I was so afraid that he was going to fall over, but he leaned against the pole as he pushed us out into the middle of the underground lake.

"What is this place, monsieur? I don't understand…."

"M…My home away from home."

The current soon took hold of the boat and pulled us to another part of the opera house I hadn't thought existed. There were candles all around, lighting the catacombs and creating a beautiful gold light upon the walls. We soon came to a steel gate that was sticking up out of the water. It was locked, but Erik reached into his pocket and produced a key. But why did he have this gate locked? Who would come down this far? Especially without a boat.

When the gate opened, Erik steered us inside and closed it behind us…And what I saw took my breath away. There, before me, was an underground lair. A home! There was a small kitchen, an organ sitting in the center of the home, and a bedroom that was cut off by a privacy drape. Never had I ever seen anything more beautiful before in my entire life. Erik docked the gondola and grasped his wrist in pain. The cloth I had wrapped his arm in was dripping with blood, and I knew I needed to help him.

"Monsieur, I can help you, but you need to tell me where you keep your medical supplies down here."

"T…There are none."

Knowing I would have to improvise, I helped him to the bedroom and sat him down on the pile of pillows that were covered with a huge red blanket. He was beginning to look as though he were going to pass out, and I knew if I didn't do something, he was going to do just that.

In the corner of his room, I found a basin, one that I knew I could fill with water. I approached the end of the lake and knelt down to fill it with the water. It didn't look clear like water should, but what else could I do to help?

"Christine, what are you doing?"

I gasped and looked up to find Nadir standing beside me. I was relieved, but at the same time, curious as to how he found his way down here?

"Monsieur Khan, how did you get down here?"

"That's not important," he replied. "What is important is Erik. Where is he? How is he?"

I stood to my feet and shook my head.

"I don't know what happened. I came to his room to offer him some dinner and I saw blood everywhere. I followed it down here and found him lying on the ground. His wrist is cut…really deep. He doesn't have anything to clean it with."

"So you were going to use the water?"

I nodded. "Yes, why?"

Nadir took the basin and dumped the filthy water back into the lake.

"What are you doing?!" I cried. "I was going to use that."

"It's filthy, Christine. Never drink or use this water for anything. Erik got critically ill one time after drinking it. I soon found out that Paris's sewage gets dumped down here."

"Than what am I to use?"

Nadir brought a small bottle of alcohol out of the lapel of his jacket.

"I brought it down just in case. Come, take me to him…"

I took Nadir back to Erik's room, only to find him lying sprawled out on his bed. Nadir rushed to his side and shook the man's shoulder to wake him.

"Erik, Erik, open your eyes. Come now, I know you can hear me."

Erik's eyes cracked open just enough to look at him. But what I found strange was that Nadir didn't turn away from his disfigured face. Even I was attempting to look away, for it was something extremely hard to stomach.

"Carlotta stole his mask," Nadir replied. "I had no control over it."

Erik didn't say a word…No, he simply blacked out from the pain.

"I'll stitch his wounds and do my best, Christine. Just go out into the kitchen and wait for me."

I was glad, for I didn't want to look at his face another moment. How was it possible for someone to even live with a face like that? There were so many arteries and veins showing that I didn't think it was possible to live like that. I found some tea and decided to make Nadir and I a cup. There were so many questions I wanted to ask him, so many answers I needed to know. When the man emerged, he seemed exhausted. He walked over to another part of the lake and bent down to wash the blood away from his hands.

"I thought you said never to use the water." I replied.

"Erik is such a smart man," he slowly began. "After he fell ill from the water, he made himself a small pond to purify some water for himself. Yes, it needs to be boiled before drinking, but it was ingenious of him."

"How is he?"

"He will live. Those monsters in the opera house have discovered him, and now I fear that he will never be able to go back above ground again."

"Monsieur Khan, why?" I cried. "Why does everyone want to hurt Erik? They know about him, do they not?"

The man shook his head. "No, Christine, they don't…"

"But why doesn't he come out of his room? Why doesn't he confront them? If he let everyone know that he existed, perhaps they would leave him alone…"

"He can't Christine."

"But why? Yes, his face is hard to look at, but with the mask…."

"Because, Christine," Nadir cried. "Erik is the Phantom of the Opera…"

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**Lets see how she takes that news... Please review!**


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